Rangers might have had a decent start under Steven Gerrard but there is someone else who is enjoying a great run so far, and they are Hearts of Midlothian who are sitting pretty on the top of the table, five points clear of their nearest rival and are still unbeaten in the league. Manager Craig Levein has managed to bring a sense of unity to the team, and with every passing game week, the belief of an improbable title victory would be looking like a reality.
Amongst all this, the 32-year-old Steven Naismith has been the crucial cog for Hearts as the forward has managed nine goals and four assists in all competitions. His goal contribution rate is currently averaging at more than one per game, and the Gers had a brilliant opportunity to sign him in January this year.
The Norwich City player was almost unwanted at Carrow Road in January, and there were reports that he was willing to sacrifice his wage to play for the Light Blues again. Even after selling Kyle Lafferty to the Gers this season, Hearts’ juggernaut doesn’t look like stopping, and for that, major credit needs to go to Naismith who is on a season-long loan from Norwich City. This is the forward’s second loan spell with Hearts as even in January he was on loan in Scotland until the end of the 2017-18 season.
The Gers didn’t consider making a move for him, and now the Hearts are reaping the rewards of snapping him up on loan. Naismith was with Rangers from 2007-2012 where he won three league titles, one Scottish Cup and two League Cups. One can easily say that his stint was a good one and he only left the club when a Premier League club like Everton came calling for him. Naismith had said that he still supported Rangers and what difference the Scotland international could have made if the Gers took the chance of signing him in January.
Naismith is a versatile forward and can play in various positions in the attacking third. His finishing and footwork in tight spaces are neat, and the 32-year-old reads the game well to find himself in the right positions at the right time. The Scotsman’s link-up play is also one of his formidable aspects, and he is in the centre of almost all of Hearts attack at the moment.
Morelos and Naismith could have formed a dangerous partnership in the attacking third and the management team would definitely be repenting the opportunity of not signing the former forward in January.
The Teddy Bears are also slightly short regarding depth in the attacking positions as apart from Kyle Lafferty and Alfredo Morelos, Gerrard doesn’t have many options whom he can trust. Maybe the Gers can again try their luck in the summer to sign Naismith as he is still just on loan at Hearts. However, if the forward goes on to win the title with them this season, it could be likely that he might sign again for them in the summer.
