Lawrence Shankland's rise to become captain of Rangers is a testament to a critical turning point in his career, where a brush with the football scrapheap forced a profound self-assessment.

By the summer of 2017, Shankland's tenure at Aberdeen had yielded no goals, and flashes of promise from his early years at Queen's Park had not translated into consistent performance at his parent club. Freed by the Dons at the start of the 2017-18 season, he found himself without a club.

A lifeline came in September of that year when Ian McCall brought him to Ayr United, then in League One. This move proved to be the catalyst for Shankland's renewed focus and professionalism. Recognizing what could have been lost, he prioritized his fitness and committed to maximizing his potential.

"Those experiences were huge turning points in my career," Shankland reflected. "When you’re at a crossroads in your career, you’re always looking for the next opportunity to try and show yourself and improve and do things better than you did before."

He emphasized the importance of daily dedication: "It probably was a lesson for me to do things properly every single day. Week in, week out — do as much as you can. Nobody can be 100 per cent every day. But you do as much as you can. And every time you show up to work, you turn up with the right attitude."

Once the penny had dropped, Shankland became a prolific scorer for Ayr United, Dundee United, and Hearts, and also had a stint with Beerschot in Belgium. His leadership qualities were evident at Tynecastle, where he captained Hearts and led them to a title challenge.

Now reunited with former manager Derek McInnes at Rangers, Shankland embraces the responsibility of captaining his boyhood club. He acknowledges the weight of history and the club's legends, expressing a willingness to seek advice from former captains like Barry Ferguson and Lee McCulloch.

"The honour of leading his boyhood heroes is even more thrilling for the circuitous journey his career has taken," the notes state. Shankland added, "When I got the opportunity when I was younger to go back to learn and play football again, I was just so grateful. That grounding obviously does help. You work hard and you get moments like this. You get to lead a club like Rangers. It’s obviously huge."

He understands the scrutiny that comes with captaincy at a club like Rangers but is prepared for it. "For the last two and a half years, all I’ve known is being captain of a club," he said. "It’s something I’ve enjoyed. I took the responsibility. Of course, there’s scrutiny when things get difficult and people look to the captain to answer up for the squad. That’s something I’ll need to be responsible for, but the flip side of the rewards of being a successful captain at this club outweigh it by miles. So, it’s something I’m really looking forward to."

Shankland also highlighted the importance of a leadership group within the squad, mentioning former captains he has worked with. "We’ll need a lot of leaders in the camp. Dan (Neil) has been a captain at Sunderland and I’ve had experience of working with Cammy (Devlin) who is a true leader in everything he does. So, there won’t just be myself, there will be a core group that leads the changing room. I’ll be at the forefront of it and I’m pleased with what I’ve seen so far."

Looking ahead, Shankland is focused on delivering success for Rangers. "It would obviously be huge (to win the title) and it’s something we’re going to set out to try and do," he stated. "Coming into the season, that’s the expectation. You come to football club like this, you want to go and win the league. There’s no shying away from that. It’s a responsibility that we accept as players. And obviously myself as a captain now, I’ll need to bleed that into the changing room. We missed out last season. But I’m looking forward and hopefully can go one closer this year."

His journey from the brink of falling off the professional radar to leading one of Scotland's biggest clubs serves as an inspiration, particularly for players facing career difficulties. "If it can be a lesson for any player out there, any boy who’s in a sticky position right now, hopefully my journey can help," he added.