Football star Shankland supports heart campaign after pal’s death

Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland has shared painful memories of a childhood friend who died suddenly from a heart condition.

Before he left with the National team for the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany, he visited a special mural in Glasgow dedicated to Chris Murray.

Chris, from Glasgow, died aged 22 after collapsing at work having had a sudden cardiac arrest.

The lifelong Rangers fan had been diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at age three, which can be an inherited heart condition.

He is the subject of one of two giant murals in Scotland painted to highlight the tragedy of sudden cardiac death in young people.

“If Chris was here now, he’d be our number one supporter and cheering us on,” said Lawrence.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has created 12 murals across the UK remembering talented young footballers or fans who died too soon.

The charity says that 12 people under the age of 35 are lost in the UK every week due to sudden cardiac death.

Chris’s mural is located outside the Dockyard Social venue in Glasgow – where fans watching the football over the coming weeks will see it.

With the slogan “Scotland ’til I died”, it is a poignant message.

Lawrence, 28, told BBC Scotland News : “I wasn’t aware of Chris’s condition until he passed away.

“He was only 22 at the time and for one of your mates to lose his life is something you can’t even imagine. It hit all of us hard and was an experience I had never been through.

“I think the slogan is a really powerful one. When I first read it, I thought ‘Oh’, it was really hard-hitting. But I think it needs to be.”

Chris was a well-loved member of his friend group. Lawrence has great memories of him being the life and soul of the party.

“Whether it was a night in the local or a big event – he was always the one in the middle of the dancefloor,” he said.

“Probably my fondest memories are from T in the Park.

“He was mad for Beyonce. We were watching The Script and he wasn’t happy with how long their set was taking and he was screaming at the top of his lungs for Beyonce to come on. He was probably screaming louder than the singer.”

He says he will never forget the moment he found out his friend was gone.

“I’ll always remember the phonecall. One of my mates phoned me. It was just tragic how sudden it was, and unexpected.”

Team Chris – made up of Lawrence and Chris’s friends – have raised thousands for the BHF to help awareness and medical research.

The BHF wants more funding into research to understand the causes.

Head of the charity in Scotland, David McColgan, said: “Too many lives are being taken too soon by sudden cardiac death. No-one should have to experience the loss of their child, sibling or parent, but sadly that is the cruel reality of heart disease.

“As the nation celebrates the UEFA Euro 2024, these powerful murals serve as a reminder of the young football fans that have been snatched away by sudden cardiac death, and we want to thank the families who have kindly agreed to share their stories.”

The other Scottish mural features Jamie Skinner, from Edinburgh, who was just 13 years old when he passed away in 2013, having had a cardiac arrest on the pitch playing in a match for Hearts Football Club.

Scotland star Lawrence Shankland wants people to be aware of the risks – he himself has recently completed a CPR course so he will know what to do if anything happens around him.

Inspecting his friend’s mural, he said: “I wish he wasn’t up on that wall, but he is, and he was a really really good friend.

“I am proud to see him up there. Chris’s being face up there is very special for everybody – his family and friend group – and we’ve taken a lot of comfort from it.

“I just want to send my love to him and hopefully he is up there looking down on us, proud.”