Shankland proud of record-breaking Scottish achievement

Lawrence Shankland says he was unaware he was on the brink of becoming the SPFL's all-time leading goalscorer until just last week.

The Hearts striker's goal in their 3-0 win against Falkirk on Saturday was his 163rd since the league's formation in 2013, moving him one clear of Rory McAllister at the top of the chart.

"Somebody sent me a photo last week saying I'd equalled it or something," Shankland said.

"It's always nice to get a bit of recognition with these records. It's a reflection of my whole career really. I've spent a lot of time in the SPFL leagues. It's obviously a good number of goals, and I'm always happy to see records like that."

Shankland, who first found the net in the SPFL as a teenager in 2013, admitted the milestone brought back memories of his early days in the game.

"I was such a young kid when I scored my first goal," the 30-year-old added.

"I think I was 16 at the time. Obviously, I kicked on from there, so that's nice."

Shankland's seven goals so far this season have helped propel Hearts to the top of the Scottish Premiership, and the 30-year-old believes the team's form is no surprise.

"There's a positive feel about us," he said.

"Even in the League Cup campaign, we started well and took confidence from that. We've started the league the way we wanted to, with a good amount of wins and points. We just need to keep doing what we're doing. The work rate and attitude we've shown are what's winning us games."

The striker credited the summer arrivals of players like Alexandros Kyziridis and Claudio Braga with adding an extra spark to the squad.

"It's just freshness," the striker said.

"New attributes, quality, and pace. You saw Kyziridis score a cracker on Saturday. We've added that throughout the squad and even have strong options off the bench.

"Training has been really positive, and even boys missing out on the squad are pushing hard. That strength in depth is vital."