Martinez stopped my move to the Canaries

STEVEN NAISMITH has revealed how Everton manager Roberto Martinez blocked his proposed deadline-day transfer to Norwich City.

The Scotland forward was the subject of an £8million offer from Alex Neil’s Premier League new boys and the Everton hierarchy were prepared to sell the 28-year-old.

Having started the season on the bench at Goodison, Naismith admits he was receptive to the idea of moving to Carrow Road but a heart-to-heart with Martinez resulted in him staying on Merseyside.

Although wistful that the chance to play every week has evaporated, he has resolved to knuckle down and persuade Martinez to select him more often.

‘I was aware of the interest from Norwich and I knew the clubs had been speaking,’ said Naismith. ‘It was a hard one.

‘At my age and stage of my career, I just want to play football. Everton are an amazing club, the best-run I’ve ever been at and we have an amazing squad.

‘But it’s always hard when you

aren’t playing all the time. I’m not sure how it all went and if the offer was accepted. But the final decision is down to the manager.

‘It was an appealing offer but the manager decides on the squad and he wanted me to stay. That was great to hear.’

Naismith’s involvement in Scotland’s ongoing Euro 2016 double-header against Georgia and Germany may have afforded him little time to dwell on the transfer episode, but it has kept him in the company of a couple of would-be club-mates in Russell Martin and Steven Whittaker.

Naismith and Whittaker go back a long way to their time at Rangers and tales of the impact Neil has made in Norfolk since switching from Hamilton earlier this year have not been in short supply.

‘It would have been a big decision for me,’ said Naismith. ‘Norwich are a team that would probably suit me. Alex Neil has had a great time down there and, speaking to a few of the boys, he is very straight-talking and wants to stay in the Premier League.

‘It’s good to have a manager like that wanting you. But I’m still at Everton and I need to keep my head down, work hard and try to get more starts.’