Steven Naismith reveals what constitutes success for Hearts

As his first season in charge at Hearts edges towards a conclusion, Steven Naismith is content with the progress made. Two more points will secure the Edinburgh club third place in the Premiership and guarantee European league-stage football. They also reached both national cup semi-finals and Naismith is satisfied with his maiden campaign as head coach.

He will continue to strive for better in the months ahead but, speaking to the Edinburgh News, he explained that finishing third and playing in two semi-finals amounts to relative success for Hearts. "For where we are at, for where I am at personally, for where the squad is at, I think it is,” he said.

“I think we have exceeded a lot of expectation, especially the expectation from outside after the first couple of months of the season. I think it has gone better than when I was sitting last summer looking at the squad and thinking about what we needed to do and how we need to do it.

"In terms of the players we needed to bring in, I think it's definitely been a really good season. We are in third place with a good lead, right on the edge of confirming that position which we now know gets you European group-stage football. That makes it look like a good season. When you dig a bit deeper and see what areas we have improved in, that makes is a really successful season without a shadow of a doubt.”

Hearts drew 0-0 at Kilmarnock on Saturday and will confirm third spot this weekend if they can win away to Celtic for the second time this season. They could also achieve third even if they lose in Glasgow on Saturday and Kilmarnock fail to beat Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday.