NAISY STILL HAS IT HALL TO PLAY FOR
Hearts chief Levein insists striker will reach Scotland milestone
HEARTS boss Craig Levein last night backed Steven Naismith to recover from his latest injury setback and take his place in Scotland’s Hall of Fame.
Naismith is stuck on 49 caps and needs just one more to earn a silver medal and have his name added to the list of greats.
The striker would have been a likely starter for Alex McLeish’s side in this month’s Euro 2020 qualifiers against Kazakhstan and San Marino after impressing in the Nations Cup campaign.
But Naismith’s worst fears were realised when he was ruled out for up to 10 weeks because he requires knee surgery.
The ex-Rangers, Everton and Norwich star was substituted during last month’s defeat by Celtic and will now go under the knife on Monday.
However, Levein refused to rule out the possibility of the Scotland hero taking part in the Scottish Cup Final on May 25 should the Jambos see off Partick Thistle and Inverness to reach the showpiece.
When asked if Naismith’s season was over, Levein said: “Maybe, maybe not. It depends how long our season goes on.
“I don’t know how long he will be out. He came back a bit earlier than expected last time so hopefully he’ll do the same.
“He’s got his op on Monday down in London.
“It’s not the same as last time. It’s cartilage, he’s getting a wee bit shaved again.
“He felt it in the Motherwell game and it got worse after that. I feel so sorry for him.
“Naisy has been brilliant for us. He got himself back in the Scotland squad and is sitting on 49 caps, which is remarkable.
“He is desperate to play another match for Scotland.
“Hopefully when he’s back there will be some international matches in the summer.
“Normally players aren’t too keen on the summer matches but I’m sure he’ll be the first name on the sheet.
“Scotland also have the best chance of qualifying for the Euros for a long time.
“I haven’t spoken to Alex but Steven got himself in pole position and played as a striker in most of the recent matches.”
It’s Naismith’s second major injury of the season after missing eight games earlier in the season with a knee-cartilage issue.
But he’s still the club’s top scorer with 14 goals and Levein hopes we haven’t seen the last of him in a maroon jersey.
The 32-year-old has been on loan from Norwich since last January and the Tynecastle gaffer would love to sign him on a permanent deal.
Naismith is one of the older heads at Tynecastle along with defenders Christophe Berra and Aaron Hughes.
The striker has been linked with a move to the MLS but Levein wants to keep hold of such an influential player.
He said: “I’d like Naisy to stay, it’s as simple as that. Aaron’s contract is also up at the end of the year but he’s still useful, he’s one of the culture setters at the club and does things properly every day. He’s a great example to the younger players.
“Naisy is also in that category. He makes sure everybody does their jobs properly on the training ground and matchdays.
“There’s more to him than just the goals he has provided.
“I don’t know if other teams will be put off signing him because of the injuries. We’ll just have to wait and see.
“The last time he did a bit of rehab at Norwich and finished it off up there. He is still their player. However he does his rehab, I just want him back fit.”
But Levein reckons Hearts are now in a much better position to cope with the loss of Naismith.
After his last injury in the Betfred Cup semi-final in October, the Jambos suffered a slump that saw them plummet from the top of the table.
But the January arrivals of Craig Wighton and David Vanecek have added to an attack that also includes in-from Uche Ikpeazu and Steven MacLean.
So Levein won’t be worried about his options up front when the Jambos head to Dens to face Dundee tomorrow.
And he’s hoping Jambos fans will now see the best of former Dark Blues kid Wighton after some injury troubles.
The Hearts boss said: “We’re in a different position now and have more options.
“Craig Wighton is fit, has played a couple of reserve games and is looking the best he has looked since he arrived.
“He’s had some issues as well and had to bulk up muscle wise around previous injuries.
“He damaged his ankle in training a couple of months ago and was out for a while.
“That has allowed him to do other stuff to get him in a position to train everyday.
“David Vanecek played the other day and did his largest numbers for his GPS. They were much higher than before.
“David’s ready to go and we don’t have quite the same dearth of attacking players we had when Steven and Uche were both out earlier in the season.”