NAIS IN THE RIGHT PLACE
Tynecastle chief Budge open to new deal for young boss as suitors begin to circle
Ann BUDGE insists she would be open to giving Steven naismith a new deal after he was linked with Millwall.
The Championship side are reportedly keeping tabs on the 37-year-old Hearts boss despite only recently appointing Neil Harris.
In his first full season in the dugout, Naismith has got the Jambos 13 points clear in third place, with a Scottish Cup quarter-final against Morton to look forward to.
He only signed a contract in the summer that runs until summer 2025, with the option to extend. But things have gone better than expected and chairperson Budge wants to make sure Hearts do all they can to keep Naismith for as long as possible.
She said: “Is there an appetite to extend his deal? I would probably say yes to that but Steven has been in this game a long time and I don’t know if he would be prepared to make that commitment or not.
“I haven’t asked him. It’s not a short, sharp exercise, it’s a long-term project. If he feels that together we can make Hearts even more successful, I think he’ll want to stay.
“Things are going well. Steven has presented his view on what Hearts must do to continuously improve to get to the next level. The board have backed him all the way and will continue to do so.
“Will somebody come in from left field, whether it’s Millwall or anybody else, and make him an offer he feels he can’t refuse? I hope not but I can’t do anything about that.”
Budge insists Hearts also have to ensure Naismith has all the tools he needs to make sure he feels challenged.
She added: “I can only give him all the support he needs and keep listening to him.
“I’m as confident as I can be that things are going well for Steven. Obviously he wants to do as well as he can as a manager. As long as he is getting a challenge I think that’s part of it.
“If we were unable to help him achieve the next part of his development, I could understand why he’d want to leave.
“As long as he’s got the backing of everybody here and things are going well, I’m optimistic he won’t be in any big rush to leave.
“This isn’t a gig where he comes in for a year or so, it’s, ‘Help us take Hearts to the next level’. That’s the way he thinks and that’s the way he talks.”
Naismith has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround after some fans said they wanted him out at December’s agm in December following backto-back defeats to Rangers and Aberdeen.
Hearts responded by winning 11 out of their next 12 games and Budge added: “It’s a funny old game. I really do think you’ve got to give managers a chance.
“Yes, certain things weren’t working but it was always clear in his head what we had to do differently.
“He was saying, ‘We know what we need to do, we need to keep doing it and it will come good’.”
● Budge was speaking as the club announced plans for the Maroon Mile – a trail to celebrate the history of Hearts and the local area.