Steven Naismith has spoken for the first time since being sacked by Hearts.
The former Gorgie gaffer was shown the door after eight defeats in a row left the Jambos rooted to the bottom of the Scottish Premiership table following a 2-1 loss away at St Mirren. His dismissal, along with assistants Frankie McAvoy and Gordon Forrest, comes just weeks after the trip were handed contract extensions by the Hearts board,
However, the pressure of the losing run told in the end, especially after fans started calling for Naismith’s head before full-time in Paisley. Now the former Scotland international has addressed the failings of this campaign in a statement, as well as insisting the capital club are on the verge of taking the next step towards success despite their lowly league position. It read: “I am disappointed that my time at Heart of Midlothian Football Club has come to an end.
This season has been a frustrating one for a number of reasons and ultimately it just hasn’t been good enough. When you’re at a big club with demands and expectations and you go on a bad run of form – pressure is always going to come.
“I would like to thank everyone associated with Heart of Midlothian, where I have spent nearly 8 years of my career. From my first day I formed a strong connection with the club and all who work there, I knew, understood and appreciated the standards and demands of HMFC and this was something I constantly tried to uphold as a player and manager.
“The board put faith in me and gave me the opportunity to become a leader of the club and I am truly grateful for that. I fully believe that this board are the right people to guide the club – I truly believe all they want is success. I also believe the club is very near to taking the next step and progressing to the next level continuing on the trajectory it has been on.
“In my opinion the squad of players has lots of potential, even though this season at times we have struggled to get going, I have confidence that they will fulfil their potential. The challenge to play at a big club and deal with the pressure associated is tough at times but once you understand it, and learn to deal with it it’s a great attribute to have – this is something I tried to instil in the squad. There is a lot of hard work that goes in day to day at any football club and I want to thank all the staff at the club who work tirelessly – their support was felt throughout my time in charge.
“The fans are a huge part of the football club and their work to secure control of the club is special. Hearts have many great people who follow the club every week, the desire for success is clear to see. I really do hope you get some special moments in the near future. Please understand the power of your support when used in the right way. Keep following and backing the players.
“I am pleased that in my first year as a head coach I was able to bring a level of success to the club with: European football, most league wins in nearly 20 years; most away wins in 32 years; and some good individual performances and results.
My biggest hope is that from my time at the football club I have helped make people better – whether that was on the pitch or off it.”