How Steven Naismith earned his new Hearts contract extension - and why the Hearts board will feel vindicated

Naismith's status is as high as it has ever been. Appointed last summer, Hearts' progress under him was not immediate, but confident in his own ability and those of his players, the Jambos kicked on from November onwards in the Premiership and ran away with third place. Moreover, the Jambos reached the semi-finals of the League and Scottish Cup. Few could quibble with Hearts' achievements.

Their performance in the opening-day 0-0 draw with Rangers last week has raised optimism further at Hearts. The arrivals of Yan Dhanda and Blair Spittal give the team more creativity and they appear to have recruited a gem in Costa Rican right-back Gerald Taylor. With guaranteed group-stage football in Europe until Christmas, the Jambos have strengthened their squad accordingly. Given his stellar career as a player and his burgeoning reputation as a coach, clubs in England are starting to take notice of Naismith's work at Tynecastle. Hearts are understandably keen to tie down their coach - this deal extends his contract until 2026 - and rewards him and his assistants Frankie McAvoy, Gordon Forrest and Paul Gallacher with enhanced terms. After the departure of sporting director Joe Savage, getting Naismith to commit to fresh terms gives Hearts further security. The current situation at Tynecastle is a reward to both the club and Naismith, given there was a section of the Hearts fanbase who were unconvinced with his appointment less than a year ago. Chief executive Andrew McKinlay and his board stayed loyal and patient - and will feel vindicated by the decision. “I’m extremely pleased that we have secured Steven, Gordon, Frankie and Paul’s services for another year beyond this campaign," McKinlay told the Hearts website. “The progress made on the pitch last season was there for all to see and because of that, we have a truly exciting year ahead of us. “By extending the coaching team’s contracts we are reiterating our trust in them and confirming our belief that they can continue to take the team on an upwards trajectory.  “Good coaching teams aren’t always in abundance and other clubs are always on the lookout, so the club also has peace of mind in terms of protecting its assets. “Steven, Gordon, Frankie and Paul have started the team on a journey and I’m very much looking forward to seeing where they can take us.”

The challenge now for Naismith is to at the very least cement third place once more, maintain the upward trajectory and narrow the gap with the Old Firm. Naismith presided over two wins against Celtic last season but was unable to find a way past Rangers. There is quiet optimism among some supporters that Hearts can overcome Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League play-off tie, but if they do drop into the Conference League, more winnable ties will present themselves.