Andrew McKinlay explains why Hearts turned to Steven Naismith to save season

Andrew McKinlay has the utmost confidence Steven Naimsith will be the right man to reverse Hearts’ ongoing malaise and have them back in the group stages of European football again next season.

The Tynecastle board have turned to the former Scotland international and Everton attacker after it was decided on Sunday afternoon to dispense with the services of head coach Robbie Neilson following a run of five straight defeats. This dreadful spell saw the club drop out of third spot, two points behind Aberdeen having held a ten-point gap just a couple of months ago.

Naismith has been leading the Hearts B team in the Lowland League this campaign alongside Frankie McAvoy. He’ll be joined by the latter as part of the first-team coaching staff, while they'll also be assisted by Gordon Forrest who stays on from Neilson’s staff.

The Tynecastle chief executive’s fondness for the new interim boss goes all the way back to the summer of 2021 and was a factor in him being given the responsibility to lead this squad until the end of the campaign.

Steven Naismith was coaching the Hearts B team before being asked to step into the role of caretaker boss of the first-team. Picture: SNS

“Steven has been someone I have been really impressed with since I’ve been in the club,” said McKinlay, who became CEO of the Gorgie Road side in the summer of 2020.

"It says a lot about Steven that when I arrived he was going into the second year of a four-year playing contract. He came to us at the end of that first season in the Championship and said he wasn’t able to keep playing at the level he wanted and that he’d like to do something else. We reached a really good agreement with him to go into the coaching side. He could easily have sat back and taken the other two years of his playing contract which was substantially more than he accepted.

"That said a lot to me about him as an individual. But then I’ve watched him grow as a coach. Being in charge of the B team has been a big thing, not just for him but the players too. At first they struggled with the physicality of the league because we have a very young team in there. But if you look at our results recently they are exceptional.

“Having said that Steven would be the first to admit he has limited experience. That’s why he was keen to have Frankie and Gordon as his assistants, both of whom are highly experienced. I think we have a really good group there to take us through the next seven weeks. From Steven’s perspective I’m sure he sees it as an opportunity for the future. That’s a discussion for another day as he is absolutely focused on the next seven weeks.”

Steven Naismith played for Robbie Neilson (right) during the Championship season before becoming part of his coaching staff. Picture: SNS

With just seven games of the season remaining and a £5 million bounty to play for with third likely to again grant access to the group stages of European competition, Naismith represents a ‘best of both worlds’ caretaker. He’s familiar with most of the Hearts players and their strengths and weaknesses from being part of Neilson’s coaching staff last term, while also being a fresh voice in the dressing room.

“That was very much part of the consideration when we looked at putting Steven in,” said McKinlay. “He understands the club. He understands what it means, what is expected of being a Hearts player and a Hearts manager. He has the respect of the players for what he has achieved.

"The other thing to be clear about and I should have mentioned this earlier, Steven also – and it says a huge amount about him – is on the coaching staff of the national team. Steve Clarke took him into the national team set up initially on a one-game basis to replace Austin MacPhee who had Covid. Even though Austin came back in, Steven has been there ever since.

"Listen, any of us who are Hearts fans, or work for the club, we all wish him all the best and I believe he can have success.

Steven Naismith has been part of Steve Clarke's coaching set-up for the Scotland national team. Picture: SNS

McKinlay stated on Tuesday morning that he wanted the next Hearts manager to be a ‘proven winner’. With the club holding lofty ambitions to build themselves up to the point where they’re on a level of their own in Scottish football – behind Celtic and Rangers but clearly ahead of everyone else – there will be a lot riding on this appointment.

Seven games doesn’t feel like enough time for Naismith to prove such credentials, but McKinlay insisted this was still an opportunity for the 36-year-old to audition for the main role.

“Let’s see how he gets on. We will have a look at it at the end of the seven weeks,” said McKinlay.

“The way we would assess it, it would not just be about results. It would be about how we have played, how things have gone, what the set up is like in the club. There would be a lot of discussions to take place.

"At the same time, we will be looking at what the alternatives are – there is no point sitting back and waiting for that seven weeks to play out one way or the other. It is important for us to have a parallel process, for want of a better phrase, looking at what the alternatives might be.

"But he has an opportunity. The seven weeks are the seven weeks, that’s a fact. And he has an opportunity to show us what he can do in that period.”

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