Naismith plea to squad ahead of Spurs challenge

Steven Naismith, Hearts’ head coach, told his squad ahead of their glamour friendly with English Premier League cracks Tottenham Hotspur: “You have to be switched on.”

The sides meet at Tynecastle on Wednesday at 7pm and Naismith told a press briefing that he is expecting to see a number of their big names in the squad who were not on international duty during the summer.

He added: “The quality of their side will undoubtedly be at a high level. Just like big games in Scotland and Europe, you do need to be switched on when you don’t have the ball. That will be one of the key areas we need to focus on.”

The former Scotland international also expects Spurs, whose head coach is former Celtic boss, Ange Postecoglou, to be full of energy.

He said: “Hopefully, we’ll have the ball for periods where we can deal with that pressure. It’s about getting as many minutes into the players as possible, as well as putting them in situations where they feel pressure.”

Most of Hearts players are now back and the Jambos have a closed-doors game on Saturday as the players aim to regain sharpness ahead of their Scottish Premiership opener against Rangers at Tynecastle on Saturday, August 3 (12.30).

PICTURE: Lawrence Shankland, back in training with Hearts after Euro 2024.