Former Hibernian star urges Rangers to sign 31-goal striker as a replacement for Cyriel Dessers 

Former Hibernian star Tam McManus has urged Rangers to make a move for Heart of Midlothian striker Lawrence Shankland as a replacement for Cyriel Dessers.

Shankland had a tremendous season with Hearts in the just concluded campaign, scoring 31 goals and providing an assist eight times in 47 games across all competitions.

Unsurprisingly, he scooped the PFA Scotland Players' Player of the Year and the Scottish Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year, an outstanding achievement for a player not playing for either Rangers or Celtic.

He has been linked with Rangers recently as the Glasgow-based side seek to end the dominance of Celtic who have now won the Scottish Premiership in three consecutive seasons.

Speaking to PLZ Soccer Show via Ibrox News, McManus has urged the Light Blues to make a love for Shankland who he considers a better striker than Dessers and will score more for the Scottish giants than the Nigerian striker.

"It's the season of his dreams. To win two awards is fantastic for a player outside the Old Firm. He scored 30+ goals and got the same last season; he's scored nearly 60 goals in two seasons for Hearts. It's phenomenal."

"Obviously, there were massive rumours in January that he was going to Rangers and Rangers were in for him. I think if Rangers had signed him for £4million, Rangers would have won the league."

"He's miles better than Dessers. I know Dessers has scored 20 goals but Shankland would score 40 in this Rangers team. He's proven this season that he's a top striker, going to the Euros this summer."

"It's been the season of his dreams and he's been brilliant."

Dessers has come under scrutiny since moving to Ibrox in the summer, no thanks to his inconsistent performances in front of goal.

Despite scoring 22 goals across all competitions for Philippe Clement's side, he has failed to convince many and now stand the risk of leaving the Scottish giants just after a season of joining from Cremonese.

Abdulkareem Abdulhamid

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