Former Rangers star Steven Naismith joined Heart of Midlothian on loan in January.
Heart of Midlothian boss Craig Levein has spoken of his desire to keep Steven Naismith in Edinburgh beyond the end of his current loan deal, which is set to expire in May.
The Norwich City attacker joined Hearts in January, having essentially not featured for the Canaries at all this term, and has gone on to make 10 appearances so far for the Jambos, contributing two goals. At 31, Naismith still has a good few years of football ahead of him and will no doubt be eyeing a spot in the national team under Alex McLeish’s new set-up, with one last realistic shot at qualifying for a major tournament with his country.
It remains to be seen whether or not Daniel Farke wishes to bring the Scotsman back to Carrow Road, or alternatively whether Hearts could actually fund a permanent transfer for Naismith. At the end of the season, the 31-year-old will have one year remaining on his Norwich contract, so should not cost the Edinburgh club a great deal in the grand scheme of things.
Speaking to the Edinburgh Evening News, Levein said: “I’d like to keep him. I don’t know how possible that is but he has been good.
“With a pre-season under his belt, I think he could be even better. He’s in a good place just now. He’s been a great help to the younger players here and they all look up to him.
“He’s been great with his time, sharing it with them, so we’ll get the rewards from that in the fullness of time.”
There is no doubt that Naismith was keen to return north of the border in some capacity in January, whether that would have been as a Hearts player or potentially even for a second stint at Rangers.
A Rangers boy at heart, the attacker is still highly regarded in Glasgow and adored by the Ibrox faithful, who would surely welcome him back with open arms if he decided to return.
Norwich may well cut ties with Naismith come the end of the season, paving the way for a permanent exit, but Levein and Hearts should be wary of losing out on his signature to the blue side of Glasgow, especially considering Graeme Murty may lose a few of his own January loan stars.
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