The Ibrox skipper is fighting to play again this year after going under the knife for a hamstring injury last month

Lawrence Shankland would much rather have been inside the Parkhead pressure cooker.

But he ended up in the kitchen instead. The Rangers skipper is on the road to recovery following hamstring surgery last month and he’s determined to play a leadership role off the pitch, even if he can’t help out on it right now.

Shanks was at Ibrox for the Old Firm Premier Sports Cup win but was shut out of Celtic Park for the league clash a week later. The Light Blues bossed it in Glasgow’s east end but it was still tough viewing for the captain as he lifted the lid on the pain of missing out.

Shankland said: “Am I a good at watching games? You’d need to ask my missus that one – I was watching it in the kitchen! It’s hard watching games, it’s difficult. You always obviously want to be out there. But it’s different, obviously you can’t be at the away ties with the fan restrictions and stuff. I think my missus was doing something. I actually was on the crutches and I didn’t realise I’d stood up for the full first half until the half-time whistle went.

“I’d been standing on one leg for 45 minutes! It’s difficult to watch them and you want to be there with the boys. I don’t know if it felt like I supported them through the TV but that’s how it felt for me. I was lucky enough to be at the one at Ibrox, obviously supporting the boys. It’s hard when you’re not involved in the games, it’s difficult to watch but it makes it a whole lot easier when the boys are winning them. I’d much rather that than losing.”

Shankland was hopping around in his home during the derby win but he’s now ditched the crutches and is back around the squad at Auchenhowie every day, determined to play a captain’s role as he targets a return early in the New Year.

He said: “Definitely, you need to be around the place, be around the boys. When things are getting taken care of on the pitch, it makes your role easier. For me, at the minute the boys have been playing really well, the performances have been really good and the squad’s in a good place. A lot of the squad obviously are with their national teams and they’ll be back in this week, and it’s just about making sure everybody’s ready to go at the weekend.”

Shankland was hitting form when injury struck against Motherwell but he’s been thrilled to see the Rangers resurgence after a sticky start to the season. Several of the summer recruits have won over the punters and the captain revealed he has taken extra enjoyment at seeing midfield powerhouse Dan Neil changing hearts and minds.

He said: “It’s hard to single anybody out, really, because when you’re going through a difficult time you need everybody to pull together to get yourself out. Very rarely one player is going to drag a whole squad through a difficult time.

“Obviously some players can maybe produce that bit of magic here and there. But I was delighted for Dan Neil. Obviously you come here, the expectation is really big, and when things aren’t going very well people like to be vocal and they get on your back, and I felt that Dan had a bit of a tough run at the start. I felt for him.

“The reward, to get the two goals in the Old Firm, two really, really good finishes. It was what I’ve seen at training every day, the player that’s in there. It’s difficult when you’re at Ibrox and it’s so hostile and everybody’s pushing for that success.

“It can be difficult at times, and obviously we were going through a tough moment. It was important for him to have a moment like that, and I felt he’s really pushed on from it also. He’s led the team well, and two spectacular goals always help.”

Shankland has had some company in the treatment room with fellow striker Youssef Chermiti out for the long term. The Portuguese hitman is facing a long way back but Ryan Naderi and new signing Kevin Kelsy have stepped up in recent weeks while the injured duo work their way back.

Naderi’s form earned a Czech Republic call-up with Kelsy has also away with Venezuela after notching against Celtic in the cup. Shankland said: “Youssef’s a great guy. He’s been handed a tough one, it’s a tough injury for himself.

“And for him mentally, seeing people like myself being out injured after him and then going back before him will be tough. So it’s important as a squad that we’re all there to support him through that long-term one. But he’s making good progress as well, and as a group and as an individual you just need to be there for each other and keep pushing each other.”

●Lawrence Shankland was speaking as helped promote RYDC’s Rangers Lotto product. End-of-month Big Blue Jackpots of up to £25,000 must be won – over 18s can play with tickets costing just £1.

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