Latest news with #JocktheJambo
Scotsman
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Inside Lawrence Shankland's Hearts story: Loch Lomond, Jock the Jambo and other offers
Tynecastle striker opens up on the past few months Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A flashing header into the corner of the net at the Gorgie Stand end of the ground. By anyone's estimation, it wasn't a bad way to sign off the goals account with Hearts. However, it turns out Lawrence Shankland wasn't satisfied. It had just reached the hour mark on Saturday 10 May when a typically sumptuous curling ball in from the left from James Penrice was met by a trademark striker's finish from Shankland who, at that point, looked to be further out than in when it came to his future at Tynecastle. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad One of those involved in the passage of play that saw Hearts take a 2-0 lead against Motherwell has in fact since left. But not the one everyone was expecting. Penrice is the player who's made the kind of move – to AEK Athens - that many imagined was in the pipeline for Shankland. Lawrence Shankland still has plenty of goals in him at Hearts. | SNS Group But circumstances – and managers – change. A wedding takes place. A newly betrothed explains that maybe it might be better to stay put. Children – Shankland and wife Nicole have two young girls - plead their case: what should they do with their Jock the Jambo teddies when their father is playing for a club with less fun merchandise? 'They've got every teddy of Jock the Jambo from the club shop,' Shankland notes. And perhaps, more than anything, he himself wasn't sure if he was ready to accept that he'd already scored his last ever goal for Hearts. 'I don't know if I was all right with that, you know what I mean?' he says now. 'I don't know if I'd miss that opportunity (to score more). Now that I've made the decision, I'm happy again, I'm looking forward to that. It's a great place to play. I've had loads of good memories from here as well, so hopefully we can go and make a few more." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Shankland: 'Just keep it on' Currently on 68 goals for Hearts, there's more – presumably – to come from Shankland, perhaps even as soon as Saturday evening when he gets back into an old routine and leads the team out for their opening League Cup group match against Dunfermline. The legend continues. Perhaps onwards to 100 goals, a milestone reached by an elite group including John Robertson, Alex Young and Willie Bauld. Shankland didn't expect everything to fall back into place immediately. For example, when he came on as substitute in the closed doors game against Crawley Town last week, he was embarrassed to see Frankie Kent start tugging off the armband he had been wearing. 'I'm not a fan of that to be honest,' he explains. 'Just keep it on. It was only for 15 minutes, so somebody running over there desperate to give the armband... I'm not too caught up in it, it doesn't matter who had it on. It suited Frankie for the night, so I had to tell him." It has, though, been confirmed by manager Derek McInnes that Shankland will remain skipper despite the length of time it took for him to commit again to the club. His response to being asked how big a factor was it in deciding to return is along the lines of well, why wouldn't I still be captain? 'Obviously, I know the role that I was in previously, so there's not too much changing there,' he says. Lawrence Shankland's last Hearts goal was against Motherwell. | SNS Group It was only two weeks ago that Shankland looked to have missed his deadline to get back to Hearts on their offer of a three-year contract. The club released the flight manifest ahead of the club's trip to Spain for a pre-season training camp and who didn't have a seat caused the biggest stir. 'I think the club were probably fed up getting asked on social media about what was happening, so they probably just released that squad to kind of calm it down a bit for a couple of days,' he reflects. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad So where was he at the time? "It was good, I was at Loch Lomond!' he smiles. 'I was away for the weekend, it was lovely. But no, it was quite close at that point to be fair. There was a lot of conversations still to be had….But round about that time, I was kind of confident that it could get done. Albeit, there were still a few i's to dot and t's to cross, but it got done in the end." Although McInnes had suggested he wanted to know either way by the time Hearts left for Spain, Shankland didn't feel as though the squeeze was being put on him. He was simply exercising his right to consider all options, which, considering he turns 30 next month, he is entitled to do. But nothing among these offers, he can acknowledge now, left him saying, 'wow!' 'I felt I just had to give myself time to weigh up what was there and see if there was an option that maybe sparked something in me and made me go, 'Oh, you know, I want to try that'," he says. "The things that came up didn't do that to be honest. Quite apart from the financial side, it never really ticked many boxes in terms of the family side and that was a big one for me.
Leader Live
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Lawrence Shankland was not ready to bring Hearts career to an end
The 29-year-old Scotland forward – who has scored 68 goals since arriving from Belgian side Beerschot in 2022 – looked to be on his way out of Tynecastle after several rounds of negotiations over the past 18 months failed to result in a contract extension. After becoming a free agent this summer and exploring his options, however, Shankland has been persuaded by recently-installed manager Derek McInnes to accept an offer to become the club's highest-paid player. The Jambos announced on Thursday afternoon that he has agreed a deal until 2028, bringing to an end a long-running contract saga. 'After speaking to the family and where they want to be, especially my four-year-old diva, who's in love with Jock the Jambo, it was back here." Lawrence Shankland speaks to Hearts TV 💬 🤝 @loveholidays // #loveholidays — Heart of Midlothian FC (@JamTarts) July 3, 2025 'I had a couple of weeks at the end of the season on holiday and to get married, and then after that, I gave it a month to think about things and weigh up options,' Shankland said in an official club interview at their training base in Spain. 'I had a couple that popped up, but the family side of things just wasn't right for me. And in the meantime, I'd been speaking to the manager about coming back here. I'd always left the door open. I couldn't seem to close the door behind me, and I think that gave me an indication of where my head might be at. 'After speaking to the family and where they want to be, especially my four-year-old Eva, who's in love with Jock the Jambo (Hearts' mascot), it was back here. I'm happy with my decision and the family are happy as well.' In his first campaign at the club Shankland became the first Hearts player in 31 years to score more than 20 goals in a season and then netted 31 goals in 2023-24 to earn himself every Scottish Premiership Player of the Year award available and secure a place in the Scotland squad for Euro 2024. The former Ayr and Dundee United forward's most recent campaign was more of a struggle in front of goal, although he did notch five times in his final five appearances to leave supporters clinging to the hope that he might decide to remain at Tynecastle. After being appointed in mid-May, McInnes made it a priority to retain Shankland and the forward was grateful to his new manager for allowing him time to make up his mind. 'As long as I was honest in my situation, I think both sides were happy to kind of see how things went,' said Shankland. 'I was always keen to keep that door open for myself, and it was important for me that the manager was happy to do that for me as well. When he came in the door, my contract was coming to an end and he understood where I was at as well, so that was important. And the honesty between us kind of worked out in the end.' The retention of their most prolific forward of the 21st century represents a significant coup for Hearts at a time when they are embarking on an exciting new era in partnership with Jamestown Analytics and with Brighton owner Tony Bloom on board as a minority investor. 'Lawrence is a really popular boy, but he's still got so much to do here,' said McInnes. 'We want to be lifting silverware. We want to be going into group stages in Europe and we want to have a consistent thing going here. Having Lawrence in the building gives us a better chance of achieving all that.'
Rhyl Journal
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Lawrence Shankland was not ready to bring Hearts career to an end
The 29-year-old Scotland forward – who has scored 68 goals since arriving from Belgian side Beerschot in 2022 – looked to be on his way out of Tynecastle after several rounds of negotiations over the past 18 months failed to result in a contract extension. After becoming a free agent this summer and exploring his options, however, Shankland has been persuaded by recently-installed manager Derek McInnes to accept an offer to become the club's highest-paid player. The Jambos announced on Thursday afternoon that he has agreed a deal until 2028, bringing to an end a long-running contract saga. 'After speaking to the family and where they want to be, especially my four-year-old diva, who's in love with Jock the Jambo, it was back here." Lawrence Shankland speaks to Hearts TV 💬 🤝 @loveholidays // #loveholidays — Heart of Midlothian FC (@JamTarts) July 3, 2025 'I had a couple of weeks at the end of the season on holiday and to get married, and then after that, I gave it a month to think about things and weigh up options,' Shankland said in an official club interview at their training base in Spain. 'I had a couple that popped up, but the family side of things just wasn't right for me. And in the meantime, I'd been speaking to the manager about coming back here. I'd always left the door open. I couldn't seem to close the door behind me, and I think that gave me an indication of where my head might be at. 'After speaking to the family and where they want to be, especially my four-year-old Eva, who's in love with Jock the Jambo (Hearts' mascot), it was back here. I'm happy with my decision and the family are happy as well.' In his first campaign at the club Shankland became the first Hearts player in 31 years to score more than 20 goals in a season and then netted 31 goals in 2023-24 to earn himself every Scottish Premiership Player of the Year award available and secure a place in the Scotland squad for Euro 2024. The former Ayr and Dundee United forward's most recent campaign was more of a struggle in front of goal, although he did notch five times in his final five appearances to leave supporters clinging to the hope that he might decide to remain at Tynecastle. After being appointed in mid-May, McInnes made it a priority to retain Shankland and the forward was grateful to his new manager for allowing him time to make up his mind. 'As long as I was honest in my situation, I think both sides were happy to kind of see how things went,' said Shankland. 'I was always keen to keep that door open for myself, and it was important for me that the manager was happy to do that for me as well. When he came in the door, my contract was coming to an end and he understood where I was at as well, so that was important. And the honesty between us kind of worked out in the end.' The retention of their most prolific forward of the 21st century represents a significant coup for Hearts at a time when they are embarking on an exciting new era in partnership with Jamestown Analytics and with Brighton owner Tony Bloom on board as a minority investor. 'Lawrence is a really popular boy, but he's still got so much to do here,' said McInnes. 'We want to be lifting silverware. We want to be going into group stages in Europe and we want to have a consistent thing going here. Having Lawrence in the building gives us a better chance of achieving all that.'
North Wales Chronicle
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Lawrence Shankland was not ready to bring Hearts career to an end
The 29-year-old Scotland forward – who has scored 68 goals since arriving from Belgian side Beerschot in 2022 – looked to be on his way out of Tynecastle after several rounds of negotiations over the past 18 months failed to result in a contract extension. After becoming a free agent this summer and exploring his options, however, Shankland has been persuaded by recently-installed manager Derek McInnes to accept an offer to become the club's highest-paid player. The Jambos announced on Thursday afternoon that he has agreed a deal until 2028, bringing to an end a long-running contract saga. 'After speaking to the family and where they want to be, especially my four-year-old diva, who's in love with Jock the Jambo, it was back here." Lawrence Shankland speaks to Hearts TV 💬 🤝 @loveholidays // #loveholidays — Heart of Midlothian FC (@JamTarts) July 3, 2025 'I had a couple of weeks at the end of the season on holiday and to get married, and then after that, I gave it a month to think about things and weigh up options,' Shankland said in an official club interview at their training base in Spain. 'I had a couple that popped up, but the family side of things just wasn't right for me. And in the meantime, I'd been speaking to the manager about coming back here. I'd always left the door open. I couldn't seem to close the door behind me, and I think that gave me an indication of where my head might be at. 'After speaking to the family and where they want to be, especially my four-year-old Eva, who's in love with Jock the Jambo (Hearts' mascot), it was back here. I'm happy with my decision and the family are happy as well.' In his first campaign at the club Shankland became the first Hearts player in 31 years to score more than 20 goals in a season and then netted 31 goals in 2023-24 to earn himself every Scottish Premiership Player of the Year award available and secure a place in the Scotland squad for Euro 2024. The former Ayr and Dundee United forward's most recent campaign was more of a struggle in front of goal, although he did notch five times in his final five appearances to leave supporters clinging to the hope that he might decide to remain at Tynecastle. After being appointed in mid-May, McInnes made it a priority to retain Shankland and the forward was grateful to his new manager for allowing him time to make up his mind. 'As long as I was honest in my situation, I think both sides were happy to kind of see how things went,' said Shankland. 'I was always keen to keep that door open for myself, and it was important for me that the manager was happy to do that for me as well. When he came in the door, my contract was coming to an end and he understood where I was at as well, so that was important. And the honesty between us kind of worked out in the end.' The retention of their most prolific forward of the 21st century represents a significant coup for Hearts at a time when they are embarking on an exciting new era in partnership with Jamestown Analytics and with Brighton owner Tony Bloom on board as a minority investor. 'Lawrence is a really popular boy, but he's still got so much to do here,' said McInnes. 'We want to be lifting silverware. We want to be going into group stages in Europe and we want to have a consistent thing going here. Having Lawrence in the building gives us a better chance of achieving all that.'
South Wales Guardian
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Lawrence Shankland was not ready to bring Hearts career to an end
The 29-year-old Scotland forward – who has scored 68 goals since arriving from Belgian side Beerschot in 2022 – looked to be on his way out of Tynecastle after several rounds of negotiations over the past 18 months failed to result in a contract extension. After becoming a free agent this summer and exploring his options, however, Shankland has been persuaded by recently-installed manager Derek McInnes to accept an offer to become the club's highest-paid player. The Jambos announced on Thursday afternoon that he has agreed a deal until 2028, bringing to an end a long-running contract saga. 'After speaking to the family and where they want to be, especially my four-year-old diva, who's in love with Jock the Jambo, it was back here." Lawrence Shankland speaks to Hearts TV 💬 🤝 @loveholidays // #loveholidays — Heart of Midlothian FC (@JamTarts) July 3, 2025 'I had a couple of weeks at the end of the season on holiday and to get married, and then after that, I gave it a month to think about things and weigh up options,' Shankland said in an official club interview at their training base in Spain. 'I had a couple that popped up, but the family side of things just wasn't right for me. And in the meantime, I'd been speaking to the manager about coming back here. I'd always left the door open. I couldn't seem to close the door behind me, and I think that gave me an indication of where my head might be at. 'After speaking to the family and where they want to be, especially my four-year-old Eva, who's in love with Jock the Jambo (Hearts' mascot), it was back here. I'm happy with my decision and the family are happy as well.' In his first campaign at the club Shankland became the first Hearts player in 31 years to score more than 20 goals in a season and then netted 31 goals in 2023-24 to earn himself every Scottish Premiership Player of the Year award available and secure a place in the Scotland squad for Euro 2024. The former Ayr and Dundee United forward's most recent campaign was more of a struggle in front of goal, although he did notch five times in his final five appearances to leave supporters clinging to the hope that he might decide to remain at Tynecastle. After being appointed in mid-May, McInnes made it a priority to retain Shankland and the forward was grateful to his new manager for allowing him time to make up his mind. 'As long as I was honest in my situation, I think both sides were happy to kind of see how things went,' said Shankland. 'I was always keen to keep that door open for myself, and it was important for me that the manager was happy to do that for me as well. When he came in the door, my contract was coming to an end and he understood where I was at as well, so that was important. And the honesty between us kind of worked out in the end.' The retention of their most prolific forward of the 21st century represents a significant coup for Hearts at a time when they are embarking on an exciting new era in partnership with Jamestown Analytics and with Brighton owner Tony Bloom on board as a minority investor. 'Lawrence is a really popular boy, but he's still got so much to do here,' said McInnes. 'We want to be lifting silverware. We want to be going into group stages in Europe and we want to have a consistent thing going here. Having Lawrence in the building gives us a better chance of achieving all that.'
