Steven Naismith has been saddened to see his former Scotland team mate Russell Martin endure such a difficult time as Rangers manager this season and was upset when he learned the man he lined up alongside on international duty on numerous occasions had been sacked on Sunday night.
The ex-Ibrox forward has, too, been unsettled by the level of vitriol and abuse which has been aimed in the direction of the one-time centre-half by increasingly irate supporters as his old side has struggled in recent weeks.
And he was shocked to see the ugly scenes which broke out in Falkirk on Sunday after the visitors were held to a 1-1 draw by their promoted hosts in a William Hill Premiership fixture – ultras blocked their team bus in the car park and Martin required a police escort out of the stadium.
But Naismith, who was sacked as Hearts manager in September last year following a slump in form, has stressed that witnessing the difficulties which the former MK Dons, Swansea City and Southampton head coach has had to deal with since being appointed has by no means put him off returning to the dugout.
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The Ayrshireman joined Steve Clarke’s backroom team as an assistant back in August and is focusing fully on the important World Cup qualifiers which are coming up against Greece at Hampden on Thursday night and Belarus in Mount Florida on Sunday evening just now.
However, he emphasised that he is still eager to get back into club football and is undeterred by the treatment which Martin has been subjected to in Govan when he chatted to the media yesterday.
Asked if what he has witnessed had put him off managing in future, he said, "For me, no. It's the closest I've ever felt to being a player. That's one of the great things about being a manager, it certainly was when I was a manager.
“It ignites that inside you, that feeling that you have before games as a player. You want to go and make an impact, make a difference. It is the thing that does put you into management, because you love it.
“That's the main driver, because you love it. You feel you can make a difference, definitely. The harder side of the job and how it takes over your life is the less enjoyable part."
Naismith was by no means surprised when Martin, who brought in a raft of new players after being appointed at Ibrox in June and won just five of the 17 games he took charge of, was axed as Rangers manager this weekend. He stated that dismissal is inevitable in the modern game if results dry up.
"From a personal point of view it's sad, it's disappointing,” he said. “I've been there, I understand it, it's not nice. It's not nice when it happens to any manager, when any manager loses their job.
“But I think the way football is, that's the way it is. Results are ultimately what football clubs are led by. That's the world we're living in at the moment. I think every manager in that position feels as if they need time. But results dictate everything.
“You need to make sure you get them quickly while you're trying to make changes. You see it all over the world now, that is the norm. So, yeah, it's football."
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Naismith feels the treatment which has been meted out to Martin by Rangers supporters in recent weeks has also been par for the course in this social media age and is widely anticipated by those who chooses to work in the high-profile, high-pressure profession.
Again, I think it has become normal,” he said. “I don't think anybody really likes seeing it, it's uncomfortable to see. But I do think everybody in football has an understanding of it.
“We're fortunate in our country that we've got great passion, we've got a fighting spirit. I think there was no clearer evidence than when the national team got to the Euros twice. You have an understanding that it’s part of the job. But it's uncomfortable to see and you don't, as much as you want that passion, want that. "In any walk of life you don't want that. That's the part that does make it uncomfortable. But, as I said, the passion side of it, that's the thing that's probably special in this country. You don't want to lose that.”
