Lawrence Shankland has finally addressed the disappointment of missing out on the Premiership title to Celtic.
However, what stood out most was not what the former Hearts captain said — it was what he chose not to mention.
The aftermath of Celtic’s title-clinching victory over Hearts at Celtic Park was dominated by debate surrounding the alleged incident involving Shankland during the post-match celebrations.
Yet when reflecting on the end of the season this week, the new Rangers striker kept his attention firmly on football.
Shankland Focuses on Football
Speaking while on international duty with Scotland, Shankland admitted the title disappointment was difficult to take but insisted he has already turned his attention towards the future.
He told The Scottish Sun:
“In all honesty, I’ve not had too much time to over-think everything.
“When you have the excitement of a World Cup to look forward to, as bad as it sounds, you can move on quite quickly. In football, you have to move quickly.
“The game moves on and you have to move with it. Of course, there was disappointment but after a few days of being quiet in the house I just had to deal with it and put it behind me.
“Then I was looking forward to meeting up here. There’s been a lot of highs and lows in the last couple of weeks. It’s been a bit crazy. But as footballers, we deal with setbacks and move on.
“You deal with success and move quickly because it doesn’t always last. I’ll always stay level-headed.
“I’m excited for the tournament to begin and I’m in a good place. Form-wise, I feel strong and I’m looking forward to these games.”
Shankland discussed the frustration of falling short in the title race, his mentality following the setback, and his excitement about Scotland’s upcoming World Cup campaign.
What he did not discuss was the alleged incident at Celtic Park that dominated headlines following the final day of the season.
Celtic Park Controversy Has Quietened
Much of the attention after Celtic secured the title focused on events away from the pitch rather than the football itself.
Claims and counterclaims circulated in the days that followed, with allegations emerging that Hearts players, including Shankland, had been assaulted during the post-match scenes. However, subsequent developments failed to substantiate many of the initial accusations.
Social media was flooded with speculation, including suggestions that the match had effectively been abandoned, but those claims lost momentum after the SFA released the VAR audio from Celtic Park.
Since then, little evidence has emerged to support some of the more dramatic narratives that surfaced in the immediate aftermath of the fixture.
The conversation surrounding Celtic’s title triumph became heavily centred on events after the final whistle rather than the match itself.
Yet Shankland chose not to revisit any of those issues.
Instead, he focused on the disappointment of missing out on the championship, the importance of moving forward, and preparing for Scotland’s World Cup campaign.
Given the level of attention the controversy generated at the time, his decision to avoid the subject altogether was arguably the most noteworthy aspect of his comments.
