NafisaLawrence Shankland has been suggested as a possible captain for next season at Rangers.
Despite only being confirmed last week and not yet eligible for official registration until the transfer window opens, Shankland is already being discussed as a leadership option.
The former Hearts skipper has been working alongside mindset coach John Johnstone for a number of years, helping him prepare for the demands and expectations that come with a move to Rangers.
Johnstone said: “I’ve no idea who will get the privilege of becoming the new Rangers captain, but from what I know of Lawrence and the body of work he had as Hearts captain, both in terms of his performance level and how he conducted himself, and also the connection the fans seem to have with him, I could see lots of reasons why Danny Rohl would give Lawrence serious consideration.
“Every other step up he’s been asked to make in his career, he’s made, so why not another?”
However, there is a word of caution for the 30-year-old ahead of his switch to his boyhood club—it may not unfold exactly as the ideal scenario he is picturing.
Johnstone spoke to Shankland prior to his Rangers move and advised him on the difficulties that could await him.
He said: “The positive side is him joining his boyhood club, European nights, playing in front of 50,000, potentially beating Celtic, winning trophies.
“So playing for Rangers can ‘pay’ Lawrence in some amazing ways.
“But when you join a club like that, there are payments you, your family have to make in return—the scrutiny, the intensity, the pressure.
“So while it can be amazing to be a Rangers player when things go well, there’s the flip side when they don’t.
“The question I asked Lawrence was, ‘Are you willing to pay that price?’
“If the answer’s yes, 100 percent go for it.
“But if you or your family’s not willing to put up with every aspect of playing for Rangers, good and bad, I’d stay where you are.
“I worked with one player who joined Rangers around a decade ago and his words to me were, ‘My dream moved turned into a nightmare’.
“Rangers were struggling on the pitch, so mentally he felt like he had to get away from it all.
“He took his kids to the cinema but found half the city wanting to ask questions about why it was going wrong and the other half laughing at him.
“That’s the price you’ve got to be willing to pay.
“Now that doesn’t mean you’ll end up paying the price, but there’s nothing Lawrence can do to guarantee being a success at Rangers.
“But what he’s got in place now is systems and processes to help him cope when it doesn’t go well.”
Nafisa
