Will Hearts get old Shankland back this season?

Lawrence Shankland is targeting silverware and aiming to rediscover his scoring form

Now the ink has dried on Lawrence Shankland's new three-year contract at Hearts, fas might be wondering what version of the striker they are going to get.

Will it be the lethal striker of a couple of seasons ago? Or the one who toiled last term, scoring sparsely and even falling out of the team at times?

Regardless, the Hearts support seems overjoyed at his retention, given the increasingly likely prospect that he would leave and have to be replaced.

With just eight Premiership goals last term - four of which came in May as his deal ran down - it was a shadow of the return the Scotland international delivered in his previous two seasons.

Each of those league campaigns yielded 24 goals and exhibited the sort of strike-rate that had Derek McInnes desperate to re-sign he Scotland international.

So which version of Shankland are we likely to see this campaign?

What went wrong last season?

Under previous head coach Neil Critchley, it just wasn't clicking. Shankland was withdraw from the area he threatens in most too often and was played deeper.

His expected goals per league fixture dropped to 0.3 from 0.5 and 0.7 in the previous seasons.

His shots on target fell to 30 after averaging just over 50 in the two previous campaigns, although his minutes on the pitch were fewer. Assists doubled but his overall impact was considerably reduced.

"Last season was difficult," Shankland conceded, speaking to the media on Wednesday for the first time since re-signing. "It can be tough mentally at times.

"That was a whole group thing but, as the captain, you take a bit of responsibility and it can go on your shoulders a bit.

"We had to draw a line under that. Then it was down to making a decision that was best for me and my future."

Why was McInnes so keen to keep him?

New Hearts head coach Derek McInnes is delighted to have retained Shankland

There was no doubt McInnes was desperate to secure Shankland, but why?

Working with him as a youngster at Aberdeen would have helped but also being in the receiving end of his talents would likely have played a part.

"To get somebody with Lawrence's pedigree that almost guarantees you goals, who is a free agent, is nigh-near impossible," McInnes explained.

"He brings the experience, the composure, the touch, the leadership qualities, but we're signing him because he knows his way to goal, he knows the league, and I think we've got a better chance of meeting the demands with Lawrence here.

"We've got others [strikers] who've got so many other attributes, but in terms of natural finishers, we're not blessed with too many.

"For that reason alone it was so important we got Lawrence."

Century of goals & silverware new target

Conversations with McInnes have convinced Shankland that his strengths will be played to and he will be provided chances to re-discover his scoring touch.

When asked on Wednesday if he'd expect to be pushing towards the 25-30 goal mark next term, the 29-year-old was unequivocal.

"I would be, aye," his immediate response. "The two seasons before last, I proved that in that sort of team, I can be successful and I can score a lot of goals.

"I do believe that coming here this season has been the right thing for me and I can believe I can re-find that form."

With his future sorted, what ambitions does the former Dundee United, Aberdeen and Ayr United striker hold for the next three seasons?

Former Hearts head coach Steven Naismith told BBC Scotland that Shankland has elevated himself to legendary status at the club having committed his future.

Two objectives to cement that seem to be the striker's focus.

"Scoring 100 goals [for the club] is something that I think is achievable for me," Shankland said. "More importantly, we need to try and get our hands on a trophy.

"When I first came to Hearts three years ago, that was something that I had ambitions to do.

"It's not easy but if we can go and win a trophy and put your name in amongst those names, it always helps."