Rangers have handed Lawrence Shankland the captain’s armband as the club continue their pre-season preparations at their training camp in Spain.
The 30-year-old joined the Ibrox club from Hearts, where he had established himself as one of Scottish football’s most clinical strikers over recent seasons.
Shankland scored 20 goals last season at Tynecastle Park, cementing his reputation as a consistent and reliable presence in front of goal at the top level of the Scottish game.
The striker has signed an initial two-year deal at Ibrox, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2028, with an option included to extend his stay by a further 12 months.
Rangers flew out to Spain on Friday to begin their pre-season camp as they build towards the 2026/27 campaign under what promises to be a competitive new season.
Shankland’s appointment as captain comes after James Tavernier departed the club at the end of his contract, leaving Rangers needing a new leader to wear the armband.
The former Hearts skipper was widely considered a strong candidate to step into that leadership role given his experience and his standing within the Scottish game.
Rangers played a behind-closed-doors friendly on Sunday in Spain, giving the squad an early opportunity to build match sharpness ahead of competitive action returning.
The full travelling party is a large one, with a mixture of experienced players and younger prospects making the trip out to Spain for the camp.
The squad travelling includes Liam Kelly, Ross McCrorie, Ben Godfrey, Dan Neil, Connor Barron, Youssef Chermiti, Mohamed Diomande, Nedim Bajrami, Lyall Cameron, Oliver Antman, Dujon Sterling, Djeidi Gassama, Tuur Rommens, Bojan Miovski, Emmanuel Fernandez, Tochi Chukwuani, Ross McCausland, and several others.
Also part of the travelling group are Rydnn McGuire, Mason Munn, Clinton Nsiala, Ryan Naderi, Findlay Curtis, Zander Hutton, Paul Nsio, Calum Adamson, and Callum Burnside.
Rangers’ only publicly scheduled friendlies this summer are against St Etienne and West Ham, both of which are set to take place the week before their league campaign begins.
The closed-door nature of Sunday’s friendly reflects the club’s desire to work through tactical preparations away from the public eye during the early stages of pre-season.
Shankland’s dual role as captain and striker will be central to Rangers’ ambitions next season as they look to challenge for major honours across all competitions.
