Scotland striker Shankland named Rangers captain

Lawrence Shankland says being named Rangers captain has exceeded the dream he had of playing for his boyhood team.The 30-year-old striker only joined the club two months ago from Hearts, where he also wore the armband and scored 88 goals in 171 games.The Scotland forward succeeds previous long-serving captain James Tavernier, who led the Ibrox side to a Europa League final and won the Scottish Premiership, Scottish Cup and League Cup during his 11 years in Govan.The news comes two days before Derek McInnes' side starts their league campaign at Dundee United on Friday (20:00 BST)."As a lifelong supporter, it was a dream to be here in the first place, but to get the opportunity to captain the club is a huge honour," Shankland said."I believe since I've come here the only way I've learned how to behave around the place is to act like a captain and be a leader within the group."I always look to myself to set examples on the training pitch and do things properly around the place."It's not just myself - Dan Neil and Ben Godfrey are experienced players who have been around clubs and have been captains. It's about all of us setting examples."Former captain Tavernier was often the fall guy among the support for Rangers' failings, despite arguably being the club's best player over the past decade.Criticism often felt unfair, but Shankland acknowledges that scrutiny comes with wearing the armband of such a demanding club.Supporters of the Ibrox side have long called for the signing of the striker for his goalscoring ability, but his experience in Scottish football and status as a boyhood fan will also tick boxes in their eyes.Rangers now have a manager in the dugout and a captain on the pitch who the fans feel 'get it', and Shankland insists he is prepared to shoulder the scrutiny if it means he has the chance to become a successful captain at Ibrox."The past two and a half years, all I've known really is being a captain at a football club," Shankland added. "It's something I enjoyed. I enjoyed the responsibility."At times when things are difficult, people do look to the captain to answer for the squad. That's something I'll need to be responsible for."But on the flip side of that, the rewards of being successful at this football club, and being a successful captain, far outweigh [the potential scrutiny] by miles."