Gary Naysmith facts for kids

Gary Andrew Naysmith (born 16 November 1978) is a Scottish football coach and former player. He is currently the manager of Scottish League One team Stenhousemuir.

Naysmith played as a left-back or left-winger. He started his senior career with Hearts in Scotland. Later, he moved to England to play for Premier League club Everton for seven seasons. Gary Naysmith also played 46 times for the Scotland national team between 2000 and 2009.

After playing for Sheffield United and Huddersfield Town, Naysmith returned to Scotland. He joined Aberdeen. In 2013, he signed with East Fife and became their player-manager. He then managed Scottish Championship club Queen of the South from 2016 to 2019. He also managed Edinburgh City from 2021 to 2022. In January 2023, Naysmith became the manager of Stenhousemuir. He led them to win the Scottish League Two title in the 2023/24 season.

Playing Career Highlights

Club Football Journey

Starting at Heart of Midlothian

Gary Naysmith began his professional career at Hearts. He joined them from a local youth team called Whitehill's Colts. He made his first professional appearance at just 17 years old. This was in a League Cup match against Celtic. Hearts won the game 1–0, and Naysmith received praise for his performance.

Within a year, he became the main left-back for the team. In 1998, he helped Hearts win the Scottish Cup. This was their first major trophy in 36 years! That same season, he was named the Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year. By the 1999–2000 season, he was playing very well. He even scored a great equalizing goal in a 3–2 win against Celtic. In October 2000, Naysmith moved to Everton in a £1.7 million deal.

Time at Everton

At Everton, Naysmith quickly became a regular player. Fans even nicknamed him "El Blanco Carlos," comparing him to the famous Brazilian left-back Roberto Carlos. He played 152 games for Everton and scored six goals. However, his time there was sometimes interrupted by injuries.

In 2005, a long-term ankle injury caused him to lose his starting spot. Other players took over the left-back position. He recovered for the 2006–07 season. He scored an important goal in a 3–0 win over Portsmouth in May 2007. This win helped Everton qualify for European competitions. Naysmith played over 130 Premier League games for Everton. He left the club in July 2007 to join Sheffield United.

Moving to Sheffield United

Gary Naysmith joined Sheffield United in July 2007. He signed a three-year contract. He made his debut in the first game of the 2007–08 season. He quickly became the first-choice left-back. He played 42 games in his first season.

In the 2008–09 season, he continued as the main left-back. He played 43 games before a serious knee injury ended his season early. This injury meant he missed most of the 2009–10 season. He returned to play in the last two games of that season.

Playing for Huddersfield Town

In June 2010, Naysmith joined Huddersfield Town on a free transfer. He chose this club even though he had offers from Premier League teams. He wanted to play regularly.

He made his debut for Huddersfield on 7 August 2010. In his home debut, he received a red card. Soon after, he suffered a toe injury. This injury kept him out of action for five months. He left the club in June 2012 after his contract was not renewed.

Short Spell at Aberdeen

In July 2012, Naysmith returned to Scotland to train with Aberdeen. After a successful trial, he signed a one-year deal on 1 August. He played his first game for Aberdeen against Celtic. On 13 May 2013, it was announced that his contract would not be extended.

Player-Manager at East Fife

In October 2013, Naysmith joined East Fife as a player-assistant manager. When the manager left in November, Naysmith became the caretaker manager. He was then appointed as the permanent manager in December. He played and managed the team for three and a half seasons. In December 2016, he left East Fife to become the full-time manager of Queen of the South.

International Appearances

Gary Naysmith played for Scotland at different levels. He represented the Under-21 and B teams. He made his full Scotland debut in May 2000. This was in a 2–1 win against the Republic of Ireland. He earned 46 caps for Scotland until 2009. His only international goal came in 2002. He scored in a 2–0 win against Iceland during a Euro 2004 qualifying game.

Coaching Career

Managing East Fife

Gary Naysmith became the player-manager of East Fife in December 2013. He led the team for three and a half seasons. In December 2016, he moved to manage Scottish Championship club Queen of the South. He ended his playing career when he took on this new role.

Leading Queen of the South

Naysmith signed with Queen of the South in December 2016. He was named Scottish Championship Manager of the Month in January 2019. He left the club in May 2019 after they finished in a relegation play-off spot. In August 2019, he returned to Hearts. His new role was to manage players who were loaned out to other clubs.

Time at Edinburgh City

In March 2021, Naysmith was appointed manager of Scottish League Two club Edinburgh City. He was sacked in March 2022. At that time, the team was in 4th place in the league.

Success with Stenhousemuir

On 3 January 2023, Gary Naysmith became the new manager of Scottish League Two side Stenhousemuir. In his first full season, he led Stenhousemuir to win the Scottish League Two title. This was the club's first-ever title in 140 years!

Honours and Achievements

As a Player

Heart of Midlothian

• Scottish Cup: 1997–98

Huddersfield Town

• Football League One play-offs: 2012

East Fife

• Scottish League Two: 2015–16

Scotland

• Kirin Cup: 2006

As a Manager

East Fife

• Scottish League Two: 2015–16

Stenhousemuir

• Scottish League Two: 2023–24

See also

In Spanish: Gary Naysmith para niños