Former teammate Barry Ferguson dismayed that Rangers allowed Naismith to join Hearts

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The former Scotland captain could not believe Glasgow Rangers’ decision to allow Naismith to join Hearts.

Hearts were involved in one of the biggest coups of the January transfer window yesterday, as they confirmed the loan signing of Steven Naismith from Norwich City.

Naismith, who had fallen out of favour at Carrow Road, having not featured competitively since August, arrived in Edinburgh to complete the deal and could even feature as early as this weekend, with an Edinburgh derby debut on the cards.

Ex-Rangers and Scotland teammate Barry Ferguson could not believe his former club’s decision to allow Naismith to sign for Hearts.

Speaking via his column in the Daily Record Ferguson wrote: “I can’t work out why they didn’t move heaven and earth to make sure they brought [Steven Naismith] back to Ibrox.”

“I’d go as far as to say [Hearts’ signing of Naismith] could be the best bit of business done by any Scottish club in the January transfer window.

Ferguson conceded that perhaps the signing of Jason Cummings from Nottingham Forest meant that Rangers did not feel the need to strengthen in the forward position, having also already landed Jamie Murphy from Brighton earlier in the window.

However, the former Scotland and Rangers captain explained he would have gone for the ‘tried and tested’ option of Naismith, uttering the importance of experience over youth.

“He is a winner who knows what playing for Rangers is all about,” Ferguson explained.

The only explanation Ferguson presented as to why Rangers may have opted out of signing him was the potential that somebody within the club’s hierarchy did not want Naismith back at the club, due to the 31-year-old being part of the group of players that walked away from Ibrox following the club’s liquidation in 2012.

Naismith’s ex-teammate went on to defend the former SPFA Young Player of the Year, explaining that there was no shame in what he did and that anybody in their right mind would have done the same.

There is no doubt that Hearts have pulled off one of the greatest transfers of any Scottish club in recent times, with Naismith having been bagging goals in the Premier League as recently as 2016.