Heart of Midlothian captain Lawrence Shankland has admitted he would be tempted to leave the club should an unbelievable opportunity arise - but reiterated that he's in no hurry to depart.
Shankland, 28, has produced some incredible goalscoring form this season and after contract talks were put on the back burner, speculation will continue around his future. Hearts chairwoman Ann Budge recently spoke of him being a man in demand.
READ MORE: Lawrence Shankland's next Hearts milestones - 66-year wait, top scorer, 30 goals?
The Scotland international striker has netted 27 times from his 37 appearances during the 2023/24 campaign and looks certain to be included in Steve Clarke's national team squad for Euro 2024. Shankland knows he's found a place where he is loved since joining Hearts but acknowledged his own ambitions to play at the very highest level possible.
He told BBC Scotland: "It depends what you want to talk about. I'm not going to win the Champions League here.
"You need to be realistic in what the club can achieve and what you can achieve as a player. Of course if the opportunity to maybe win things that you wouldn't win and play in places that you wouldn't play at Hearts come about, then it would obviously be tempting.
Can Lawrence Shankland fulfil all his footballing ambitions at Hearts?
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) March 8, 2024
🏆 Scottish Cup: Greenock Morton v Heart of Midlothian
🗓️ Monday 11 March
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"It's a football career and I'm the same as every other player in that aspect. But as I said, I'd never be disrespectful to the situation that I'm in. I'm under contract at Hearts, I love it here, I'm loved by the fans, and that's obviously a huge help in things that I do week to week."
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