GARY Oliver believes Morton new boy Lawrence Shankland will be an ideal fit to partner him up front after they ‘ran riot’ together when they were younger and playing for Rangers academy sides.

Oliver and Shankland are no strangers, having grown up as professionals beside one another on the same football pitch.

Now that they have the chance to pick up where they left off, Oliver is chomping at the bit to get started and strike up a strong partnership.

He told the Tele: “We played together in the under-13s and 14s at Rangers. We came through youth squads and that’s a benefit. 

“We know how each other plays and he’s a good fit for me especially. We always ran riot!

“It has been a good wee while since we played regularly together in the same side, although we played at the weekend of his debut against Raith Rovers. I think we linked up well, I enjoyed playing beside him.

“It worked well, he’s a good addition to the squad and he helps me as well so he’s good to have.”

The 21-year-old ex-Hearts attacker reckons new team-mate Shankland provides an entirely different threat to what Morton possess already going forward. 

Despite being only  21 himself, Shankland has an imposing build and can hold off defenders.

Whilst he won’t run the channels like Jai Quitongo or Kudus Oyenuga, his hold-up play and desire to hassle defenders in the box allows Oliver to run off him and pick up the ball in more advanced areas.

Oliver is adamant this new pairing can be a key partnership for Ton going forward while Quitongo and Oyenuga are both injured — and he’s more than excited to see where it takes Ton in the future.

He added: “It’s a different approach we’ve got on the forward line. When Jai and Kudus come back, we’ve got different options which are good to have. It’s nice to have that depth as well.

“He occupies the centre-halves and allows me to get on the ball and do what we’re good at.”

Shankland — on loan from Aberdeen — cut short his previous loan spell at Renfrewshire rivals St Mirren. The striker later admitted to the Tele that it was because of a lack of playing time, but Oliver doesn’t envisage that being a problem for him at Cappielow.

Oliver said: “He actually said to me after the Raith game that he was a bit tired! 

“But it was his first match in a while and he put in a solid shift and got his just rewards with the goal, so it was a good debut for him.”