Positives for Hearts were thin on the ground in the aftermath of their 4-1 humbling by Celtic at Tynecastle, but if one crumb of comfort can be taken, captain Lawrence Shankland is back among the goals.

The 28-year-old forward netted 28 goals in 47 appearances across all competitions last season and while he has scored six times during the 2023/24 campaign, the strike against Celtic ended an eight-match drought – his longest in a Hearts shirt since joining from Beerschot in the summer of 2022.

As a consequence, questions have been raised about Shankland’s performance levels this season. The Scotland forward set the bar high last season but much like the rest of his team-mates, he has struggled for consistency. Hearts have only won three times in the Premiership in nine matches and are yet to string a convincing run of displays together under Steven Naismith.

Like all strikers, Shankland is fully aware of his recent numbers. “It was good to get back on the scoresheet,” he said. “It’s been a wee bit of a drought and I’m glad that it’s over now. “So if there any positives to take personally, that can be one.

Lawrence Shankland knows Hearts will need to improve against Rangers at Ibrox.

“I’ve gone through it before. But up until the same date last year, I’d only scored five goals as well so I’m on track for what I did last year. So I can work with that going forward. Perspective is huge in football. Of course my game’s not been brilliant at times this season. I’d say myself that I can improve. But, listen, it’s not through a lack of effort. I’m working hard and trying my best out there. Sometimes it doesn’t quite work out and you have a wee dip in form. Hopefully that goal can turn things and get me going in the right direction again.

“It comes through experience. You go through a lot in your career and you learn. There are spells when the goals just don’t flow and there are other when they fly in. As a striker. I think when you are on one of those wee runs, you second guess runs you make in the box and sometimes it just feels like you are always making the wrong run or taking the wrong option. Most of the time it’s about just getting that one again and you try and build from there. That happened against Celtic so hopefully I can now kick on.”

After a chastening afternoon against the champions, it is unlikely to get much easier this weekend when Hearts head to Ibrox on Sunday to face Rangers. “We’ll definitely have to improve,” admitted Shankland. “When you play the Old Firm, you know they have got that quality. If you are not on the top of your game, they can are things really difficult for you. We need to take Celtic as a wee warning really. We can use it in the right way ahead of going to Ibrox. We need to go in confident. We can’t think about today and think ‘that’s going to happen again’. We can’t do that. We move on. It’s a completely different game, a different team. It will be a tough ask but we’ll be looking top go there and get a result.”

Lawrence Shankland mulls over his Hearts scoring drought - 'hopefully that goal can turn things'