Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
Sport
Mark McDougall

Lee McCulloch details Steven Naismith's curious side as he hails new Hearts coach

Lee McCulloch insists it's brilliant having Steven Naismith on the training field and reckons it's a 'great appointment' from the club.

The former Rangers team-mates are part of Robbie Neilson's coaching staff at Hearts and Naismith is constantly trying to learn and asking questions.

And McCulloch believes that's the perfect thing for him to do and believes he's a natural coach and will go on to have a great career in the game.

Naismith had a brilliant career as a player and McCulloch admits a lot of players believe their own hype because they've had a good time on the field.

Naismith's time as a player at Tynecastle has attracted him a lot of respect from the players and McCulloch believes that's a big boost to the club.

He said: “It’s brilliant to have Naisy as part of the team. What he brings is football knowledge in pressure situations. He is bubbly every single day, he has an opinion which is always good.

“Believe it or not that can be rare at times in some coaches. For the young coaches that Gordon and I have worked with before, sometimes they come in and just say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to everything.

“With Naisy it is ‘why are we doing that?’ and ‘can we not try it this way?’. That’s what Gordon and I have been really impressed with from him. He has an opinion and he isn’t worried about sharing.

“The managers he has worked under, the players he has played with and the experience he has means he has something to bring to the table. He has played in so many big games and he has played in so many different scenarios and he can share those with the players.

“He has such respect from the lads in the dressing room and I think it’s a great appointment from the manager. For what he has done in his career the players look up to him.

“Having a good career doesn’t automatically make you a good coach but for me he is a total natural. He has a way about him. He is in and about Gordon and myself every day asking questions. He keeps us on our toes and that’s brilliant.

“I felt he could become a coach when we played together. It was a long time ago but he was always a fiery character. He was club captain here last season and I think when you go into coaching from playing you need to have had a leadership.

“Being captain, it makes it the perfect transition. He hasn’t changed, he is still so humble, but he has an opinion and he tells people exactly what he thinks.”

Do you want an exclusive pre-season Hearts preview - both in your inbox and through your letterbox? Head over here to find out more and secure your copy.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.