Hearts head coach Neil Critchley backed captain Lawrence Shankland to come good in front of goal after another frustrating display in Saturday’s defeat by Celtic.
The Scotland striker spurned two gilt-edged chances at Tynecastle with the score still goalless, and looks low on confidence having only scored once in all competitions this season.
Shankland told media this week that there is no new contract on the table, with his existing deal due to expire in the summer, saying: “At this moment in time, my contract will be finishing. I won’t have one at Hearts, so that indicates that you move on.”
However, Critchley insists there is no reason to doubt Shankland’s commitment to the Gorgie club between now and the summer.
“His all-round game has been excellent in the last few games, and you saw that again tonight,” Critchley said after the Celtic loss.
“He put a real shift in, and he just needs one of those moments to go for him. He needs to stick at it, and we need to stick with him.
“He’s contracted to the end of the season and when you see the way he plays tonight there’s no reason to doubt his commitment to Hearts.”