Steven Naismith outlines what style Hearts will adopt after signing more athletic players

Four of Hearts’ seven summer signings exceed 6ft in height and bring an added athleticism to the Tynecastle team. Defenders Daniel Oyegoke and Gerald Taylor, midfielder Blair Spittal and forward Musa Drammeh all carry an element of physicality alongside more diminutive new recruits like Yan Dhanda and James Penrice.

This does not necessarily mean a return to the old “big, physical Hearts” adage from bygone years.

Head coach Steven Naismith, 5ft 9ins tall, relied on skill and intelligence rather than physique during his own playing career, and won’t forego those attributes now. He recognises the need for pace and strength, but it must dovetail with ability and talent.

 

Oyegoke, Taylor and Drammeh in particular give Hearts a fresh look at both ends of the pitch, whilst Spittal is a midfielder with intrinsic knowledge of the Scottish Premiership. Naismith intends his 2024/25 side to be athletic, slick, quick and technical.

The presence has an effect, although that’s not the type of team we are going to be,” said Naismith. “I think the game is going that [athletic] way.

There’s the ones you name, plus Penrice is an unbelievable athlete, Yan doesn’t get the credit he deserves either. He will last 90 minutes and get about. The game is naturally going that way.

It’s something we need to constantly have. We need pace to go through the pitch quickly. A lot of our attacks when we got joy later in games got us from one area of the pitch to the final third within three passes. You need to be able to get up and down the pitch to do that.”

 

After a week-long training camp in Tenerife, a number of Hearts players are showing better physicality than last season. It is something coaching staff wanted to improve without making it the main focus over the summer.

“I think the players already here have developed through their conditioning. They are more powerful,” said Naismith. “That’s something I’ve noticed through pre-season, we do have more powerful players from those who were already in the building. Lewis [Neilson], [Aidan], Denholm, Macaulay Tait has firmed up.

 

“Now Macaulay is never going to dominate somebody but he can have a strength so that when he does get nudged he isn’t barged off the ball – it doesn’t impact his stride. We are making a big focus on it and it definitely has resonated with the players.”