Former Hearts head coach 'dodged a bullet' after Rangers chance rejected and World Cup dream unlocked
The former Hearts head coach is heading for the World Cup after passing up on Rangers
A former Hearts head coach and player has shared his World Cup delight - after passing up a chance to return to Rangers in the summer.
Steven Naismith enjoyed a fruitful playing career with the likes of the Light Blues, Everton and Norwich City before joining Hearts at the end of his playing days. He became a coach at Tynecastle and then became gaffer in 2023, leading the club to a third place Premiership finish.
He was sacked last year after a poor start to the 24/25 campaign but is now back in the game as an assistant coach to Steve Clarke’s Scotland side, who have just qualified for the World Cup in 2026. Naismith was in the dugout as the nation partied hard thanks to a dramatic 4-2 win over Denmark, but it could have been so different. Former teammate Kris Boyd has claimed on The Warm Up there was a chance for Naismith to join the Rangers coaching staff in the summer.
What former Hearts manager rejected Rangers?
Ex-Norwich City teammate Russell Martin had entered as head coach but was sacked after only a few months amid a calamitous tenure. Naismith opted for the national team and Boyd has been quick to remind the ex-Hearts and Everton man of his choice that’s unlocked a World Cup dream
He said: "I'll tell you what, Naisy's dodged a bullet! Russell Martin wanted to take him onto his coaching staff!" Naismith replied: "I'm happy with my job with Scotland – I'm going to the World Cup! The whole camp was mental. We had the start in Greece where you are 3-0 down and you are starting to think about the play-offs and how bad it is.
“You could have won that game 4-3 with the chances we had and we find out that Belarus had got a result against Denmark. Going into the last game, I don’t think I have been involved in a game as bad as that with the ups and downs. The surreal nature at the end, and then seeing the gaffer in a taxi at half four was a good laugh on Tuesday night.”
Steve Clarke on Scotland qualifying for the World Cup
Clarke said on Scotland’s World Cup qualification: "I said at the start of the campaign I felt the pressure of the nation to try and get to the World Cup, so immediately that falls off your shoulders and you feel a little bit better. What a fantastic group of players, they never give up.
"I've said it for a long time now about how good they are and how determined they are to be good for their country. They showed that, I couldn't be happier for my players, I couldn't be happier, it's fantastic, it feels great.
"Every single one of them gave what they had, gave what they could give. We're going to the World Cup. Not bad. The campaign's been up and down but we ended up with the most points. They made the group, made a liar of me because I told them at the start of the campaign, you'll need 14 points to qualify. We only needed 13, brilliant."