Lawrence Shankland completed a dream transfer to Rangers - then admitted the move has been a "long time coming."
The Ibrox club confirmed the signing of the 30-year-old striker from Hearts, after four prolific years at Tynecastle where he was also club captain. A break clause in the three-year deal he signed there last summer allowed him to move on, and he has signed for two years in Glasgow with the option of a third.
A boyhood supporter of Rangers, the Scotland striker has long been tipped to sign for the club, even preceding his Hearts days. He admits the constant speculation has been difficult to deal with, but is now satisfied to be in the position he has worked hard to get to.
Asked for his reaction to the move, Shankland told Rangers TV: "Delighted first and foremost to get this opportunity. It feels a wee bit like a long time coming to be honest with the number of times I have been rumoured with it. Just delighted to get it done and be a Rangers player.
"Probably every transfer window for the last four, five years, dealing with the messages from the outside, family and stuff, asking if it was true. To be fair, I just had to remain focused with my job in hand. When I heard the interest was real come this week, I was really tempted straight away. Being your boyhood club, it is always your dream to play for. I was really keen to get it done to be honest.
"It is huge. It is an opportunity I have waited a long time for, a lot of hard graft has gone into it to get to this point. I am delighted to be here first and foremost. I want to come here and be a successful Rangers player."
Over the last few days, it has not exactly been a secret that the move was in the works. It had become apparent that Rangers were determined to do a quick deal and the existence of the break clause was going to allow them to achieve that.
Head coach Danny Rohl was eager to make the former Dundee United and Ayr United man his first signing of the summer, aligning with the club's focus on signing Scottish players, or those with SPFL experience.
Shankland was on a family holiday in Portugal, which he cut short to fly back and seal the deal ahead of joining up with the Scotland squad.
On what the last 24 to 48 hours has been like, he said: "Busy. A lot of phone calls. I was actually away with the Mrs and the kids so they were getting a bit frustrated that I wasn’t spending much time in the pool. I had business to take care of. As I said, I was really keen to get this done and make it happen so that is what I had to do.
Following the World Cup, attention will turn to next season, life at Rangers and the chance to make the most of the move he has been waiting for.
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Shankland is all too aware of the pressures of playing for the Ibrox club and is determined to be one that is remembered for thriving in it rather than sinking.
“I want to be successful,” he said. “There are a lot of Rangers players that come and go over the years and if you are not successful you are forgotten about pretty quickly. I want to be one that comes here, we want to win, the club wants to be in a position where we are back winning titles regularly. I want to be a big part of that and that is what I have come here to do.
“I think when you come to a football club, you come and have a look at the training ground. You see the memories of the trophies, the photos.
“And that's what you want. When you leave this football club, you want to be a part of that. And make sure you leave your stamp on what you did here. So that's all I want to do.”
Shankland has had quite the journey throughout his career, starting off at Queen’s Park before winning a move to Aberdeen but suffering a bump in the road by being released from Pittodrie. There was then a sojourn through the lower leagues with Dunfermline Athletic, St Mirren, Greenock Morton, Ayr United and Dundee United before a move to Belgium with Beerschot.
He feels the grounding he was given by family when growing up in Glasgow is what prepared him for the ups and downs of the career he has had - as well as the heartache of being released by Rangers.
“Probably family and the way I was brought up,” he said when asked where his drive comes from. “Being a Glasgow boy, you come from normality really, working class people and obviously you get that resilience built into you from an early age.
“So I think I’ve always naturally had it. I’ve always wanted to be a footballer, but you get knocks along the way.
“Rangers was actually one of them when I was really young. I got released from here when I was kind of on trial for a long time. But those are the kind of things that mould you for the future. You get those learning experiences and build that resilience. I’ve always kept that.”
There was a word for Hearts, where he has spent four years of his life, captained one of the country’s biggest clubs and won the adoration of fans.
Hitting the 20 goal mark in three of his four seasons helped with that.
On how grateful he is to his former club, he added: “Hugely. When you come to make decisions, it is never easy. It is easier because Rangers are my boyhood club, as I have said.
“But listen, Hearts have been a huge part of my life for the last four years, for me and my family. I am grateful for the opportunity they gave me when I went there from the start, obviously four years of my career is a long time to spend there. I will always be grateful for the opportunity they have given me. A really great club and I am glad I have left on good terms with everybody there."
