Veteran Naismith desperate to go out with

STEVEN NAISMITH, the Hearts attacker, concedes the sobering thought of hanging up his boots for the final time is driving his career renaissance in the capital.

The 32-year-old claimed Premiership player of the month for September after finding the net five times in as many matches for the Jambos.

His scoring streak also earned a recall to the Scotland squad, and he capped his return to the international scene by notching a goal in the 2-0 UEFA Nations League win over Albania at Hampden.

Naismith, on a season-long loan from Norwich City after being frozen out by the Canaries, now boasts 11 goals in 17 games in all competitions as he enjoys an Indian summer at Tynecastle – and is cherishing every moment more than ever.

“As I have got older I have realised that this is a profession where one day you wake up and you just can’t play any more,” he said. “That, in recent times, has driven me on. I have consciously thought ‘I am going to appreciate every moment’. “At various times in my career I have had different things that have driven me; for example, when I had a serious knee injury, I was determined I was going to come back better and I just appreciated being back out on the pitch. “As I go on and on, things change and I know that one day it is all going to come to an end.”

Naismith’s form has underlined that