Kenny McLean compares Lawrence Shankland to Teemu Pukki

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Scotland midfielder Kenny McLean has made a comparison between reported Celtic target Lawrence Shankland and former flop Teemu Pukki.

The 27-year-old, who plays with Pukki at Norwich and Shankland at international level, reckons that the Finnish striker’s rise since flopping in Glasgow tells you all you need to know about Shankland.

The Dundee United forward was reportedly scouted by Celtic in a recent match (Daily Record) and could be a target for Neil Lennon in January.

And McLean reckons that Shankland could score goals at any level.

“I know Shanks and I’m not surprised at how far he has come,” McLean told the Daily Record. “He has always been a goalscorer even when I was at Aberdeen.

“He didn’t play much, he had a couple of appearances here and there but scored maybe 30 goals in the Under-20s at the time. It’s just that habit of hitting the net, he’s got that habit.

“That’s an art for strikers really and the types of finishes he gives you are so varied. He finishes from anywhere and he’s just such a threat.

“People speak about Teemu Pukki when he was in Scotland and now he’s banging goals in in the Premier League. So for a striker it’s sometimes hard to gauge how far they can go but if he continues to score then there’s no limits for him really.”

McLean makes a half decent point about Shankland

It really is hard to gauge how good Shankland can be. However, the signs following his summer move from Dundee United have been pretty positive. Shankland may still be playing at the same level as he was with Ayr last year, but he’s now plying his trade for a bigger club with bigger expectations.

If he can continue to showcase his talents for Scotland over the next few months then Celtic could well come calling at some stage. We’re not exactly blessed for good backup options to Odsonne Edouard at present and someone who can put the ball in the net is always worth a look.

However, most Hoops fans will require solid evidence that Shankland is any more than just a good Scottish lower-league player before they’re convinced we should make a move. It’s one to keep an eye on over the next few months or so.

As for the Pukki comparisons, most Celtic fans would rather avoid a repeat of the Finnish man – despite his current success down south.