Lawrence Shankland might just be Scotland's solution at Euro 2024, yet the Heart of Midlothian standout remains grounded and focused.

The newly-crowned Scottish Football Writers' Association Player of the Year reached the 30-goal mark with a stunning finish against St Mirren on Wednesday. 

Shankland is in the form of his life and is expected to be included among Steve Clarke's 26-man Scotland squad that will jet out to Germany in four week's time. 

The 28-year-old striker has been touted to lead the line for his country during that much-anticipated tournament opener on June 14 - but he will have to disperse stalwarts Che Adams and Lyndon Dykes in the process. 

And although he admitted he hasn't given the Euros too much thought, he knows finishing the league season strongly at Hearts will be crucial to his chances of being Scotland's main man.

"I haven't really, to be honest," the Hearts captain confessed. "You know it is coming and to be involved in the last international camp before it and the opportunity to play was a big opportunity for me to show I can do the role that was needed in the team.

"After that, to come away from that camp, disregarding the result, it wasn't too bad a night [against the Netherlands] apart from the missed opportunity.

"I thought I did alright. I won't play against many better defenders than Virgil van Dijk and Nathan Ake. It was a really good test for me and one I enjoyed.

"After that it was about parking that and back to club football. It is on the horizon now and coming pretty fast. You do turn an eye to it but the biggest thing is everybody including myself will be hoping to stay fit and finish strongly."

Asked if he had been keeping an eye on Scotland's Euro opponents, he replied: "Aye! When you look at the semi-finals of the Champions League you've got a lot of German defenders and some real big names and talents in there.

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"That's what international tournaments are all about and why you want to go and play against the top-level teams and top opposition players. When you go to the first game against Germany it is going to be a massive test but one you can go and thrive on.

"Look what Wales did not too long ago, they went really far in the tournament. There is always one team who springs a surprise. There is nothing to say it cannot be us."

The Queen's Park youth graduate has taken nomadic career route to reach the high scoring standards that he's currently set. 

And he understands that he is only weeks away from fulfilling his childhood dreams.

"Of course it's exciting to play at a major tournament," Shankland continued. "It would be an amazing personal achievement to be involved in that and something you dream at as a kid.

"You watch them growing up and you always remember your first tournament. The first World Cup and Euros I remember are Brazil [winning in 2002] and Greece in 2004. They leave good memories. To play in one would be special."

Might there be hope Scotland can progress beyond the group stage for the first time in their history? Shankland certainly reckons so.

"You never know," he explained. "We know we have got a good squad. Up until recently, we've had really tough tests. Everything was looking really rosy but things change. You are playing against top-level opposition, it is going to challenge you and hopefully from those games we have learned lessons."