Background
Shankland was born in Glasgow and attended Bannerman High School in Baillieston.
Shankland was born in Glasgow and attended Bannerman High School in Baillieston.
He progressed through the Queen"s Park youth system and was their top goalscorer in the 2012-2013 season, having moved to the senior squad straight from the under-17 team He also represented Scotland under-18s in Victory Shield matches against the other home nations in 2012. Shankland signed for Aberdeen at the end of the season.
He was one of three Queen"s Park players to move to top flight Scottish clubs at that time, as Andy Robertson and Aidan Connolly signed for Dundee United.
Another young 2012-2013 Queen"s Park player Blair Spittal also later made the move to Dundee United in 2014. Shankland was initially put in the Aberdeen under-20 squad, as he adjusted to full time professional training.
He moved to Dunfermline Athletic on loan for the later part of the 2013-2014 season. The 18-year-old striker scored seven league goals during his short spell in Fife, however injury prevented him taking part in the Pars"s end-of-season promotion play-off with local rivals Cowdenbeath which ended in defeat.
Shankland made his debut appearance for Aberdeen in September 2014, in a 3–2 victory against Inverness Connecticut. After impressing in the Under 20s, scoring plenty of goals, and making first team sub-appearances, Shankland signed a new contract due to run until summer 2017.
He was loaned to Street Mirren in August 2015 for the rest of the 2015-2016 season. Shankland scored his first goal for Saints in a 2–1 home defeat to Raith Rovers on 18 September 2015. International career
Shankland was first selected for the Scotland national under-21 football team in March 2015.
He made his debut in a match against Hungary, scoring both goals for Scotland in a 2–1 victory.