Shankland Hearts cup absence addressed amid Rangers links

But both the Celtic hero and former Rangers captain Barry Ferguson insist everyone must take Jambos boss Steven Naismith's word that the Scotland international was ill for the game.

Speculation was sparked on Saturday as Shankland was absent from the Hearts squad to take on League Two side Spartans in the fourth round of the cup competition.

He's been heavily linked with a move to Rangers, and Celtic, this month with a little under 18 months remaining on his current deal. 

His absence fuelled this further, with some pointing out that it could be about avoiding being cup-tied for future rounds.

However, both pundits, who appeared on tonight's Go Radio Football Show, were measured on the subject.

Ferguson began: "Well listen, they asked Steven Naismith the manager and you've got to take that as he is being honest that he wasn't well. There is obviously going to be rumours flying about as there has been a lot of interest in him.

"Hearts missed him against Spartans, but all the talk is not Hearts going through but Lawrence Shankland was not playing and what is going to happen to him over the coming few days."

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Grant added: "It's a bad day to get a cold when it is a cup tie as it definitely sets alarm bells ringing on anybody. Especially somebody like Lawrence who has scored the goals he has done.

"For me, he is a Hearts player and unless Lawrence said he didn't want to play, I would definitely have played him. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind about that. He would not be getting away with that.

"We pay his wages. He has trained and played exceptionally well and is the captain of the club. If he has decided that he doesn't want to stay with Hearts, I would have still played him in the game. That is why you've got to trust the fact that Steven [Naismith] was saying he was unwell."