Steven Naismith reveals two Hearts forwards he wants to sign up - and another who is 'raging'

The winter break begins but there is still business to do at Tynecastle

Hearts head coach Steven Naismith applauded Alan Forrest after his influence in the 2-1 win at Livingston and said he hopes the winger will sign a new contract. Forrest won a penalty and created both goals for the Edinburgh club in a hard-fought victory in West Lothian.

Naismith is also interested in a permanent deal for the on-loan CS Herediano forward Kenneth Vargas. His agreement includes a purchase option which, provided he maintains form, Hearts will look to exercise.

Forrest's contract is due to expire at the end of the season but Hearts see him as someone they want to retain. His display at Livingston was possibly his best in a maroon shirt since he left Almondvale for Tynecastle in summer 2022. He created Kenneth Vargas' opener and then supplied Lawrence Shankland to put the visitors 2-0 ahead.

Having held talks with goalkeeper Craig Gordon, midfielder Beni Baningime and defender Craig Halkett about extending their deals, Naismith explained why he also wants Forrest and Vargas to stay. "For me, Al was man of the match," he said. "He’s someone who has had to be patient. He’s got really good attributes. I’ve questioned his big moments. Can we get him to be more consistent? He’s worked as hard as anybody in the squad to make sure he gets his opportunity and he’s got it. Hopefully he will sign a new contract soon. He’s a big player for us.

"Kenneth is someone who has suffered from being used a lot. He’s done a lot of hard yards that nobody appreciates. People have probably expected a bit more. He’s got real quality and he has impacted the last two games. So really good overall and our game management at the end was really good. It was similar to the Motherwell game. We kept it in the right areas. It was well done. [Aidan] Denholm comes on and helps on that front. We’ve needed our squad in the last month. It’s been really important. Hopefully we are all fresh and ready to go after the break."

Vargas now has two goals in two games for Hearts after scoring against Ross County on Saturday. "He’s got great attributes. I don’t think you can teach someone to be a bit better at finishing. But when it’s needing that calmness, you see so many going through on goal and hitting the keeper or putting it wide. He’s got a calmness and an understanding of how to use his body. He’s young, he’s inexperienced, he’s inconsistent but he will be a really good player.

"The way the [loan] deal is structured, there is no rush. We are constantly talking to his representatives and the club he has come from and everyone is comfortable with the situation. At the moment, I think he is a really good prospect and someone we need to look at potentially keeping - but it needs to be right."

Shankland's first-half penalty was saved by the Livingston goalkeeper Jack Hamilton with the scoreline blank. The striker struck a post with a penalty against Hibs last month but has still scored 14 goals in his last 16 games for club and country.

"Lawrence is raging that he’s missed two penalties recently," revealed Naismith. "But for the calmness, that’s the easiest part of his game. He’s done it his whole career. It’s a really good finish and he’s not put off by it [the penalty miss].It all stems from the performance of the team."

Shankland will have the choice whether he continues taking Hearts penalties after the winter break. "That’s his choice - but he will. His record is brilliant. His two missed penalties are the only two he has missed for Hearts. He will still be on them."

Naismith gave his thoughts on the match and stressed that three points amounted to job done for his players. "The pitch was rubbish, it was always going to be, so I'm really pleased with the performance," he said. "It's not a pitch you're going to get any good football on. It's a battle in these games. If you let the ball bounce, you're in trouble defensively and also the timing of your runs are most important.

"In the first half, they got the better of the fight, they were picking up second balls. In the second half, we were much better at that and we had bits of quality. When we made our runs at the right times and played the right passes, we created chances. It was a good day's work. "You work every day about the main things you want to be as a team. You can get sucked into saying 'but we do this'. When you play on pitches like this, it's not worth the risk. One of the biggest criticisms was our away form but this is another away game where we looked like the team that was going to win. We got ahead, managed it well.

"We even had the setback of the penalty. I've played in Hearts teams that crumble at that point, and it's a big improvement. They're the pleasing things. We're on a really good run. Overall this end to the year has been brilliant for us, as much as it's been really tough. We've got a well-earned break now."