Steven Naismith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Steven Naismith

Naismith playing for Everton in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Steven John Naismith
Date of birth	(1986-09-14) 14 September 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth	Irvine, Scotland
Height	5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m)
Playing position	Attacking midfielder, forward
Youth career
2000–2002	Rangers
2002–2004	Kilmarnock
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2007	Kilmarnock	102	(29)
2007–2012	Rangers	98	(28)
2012–2016	Everton	103	(18)
2016–2019	Norwich City	44	(6)
2018–2019	→ Heart of Midlothian (loan)	33	(14)
2019–2021	Heart of Midlothian	37	(10)
Total		417	(105)
National team
2006–2008	Scotland U21	15	(5)
2006–2009	Scotland B	3	(1)
2007–2019	Scotland	51	(10)
Teams managed
2023–2024	Heart of Midlothian
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Steven John Naismith, born on September 14, 1986, is a Scottish football coach and a former professional player. He played mostly as a forward but also as a midfielder.

Naismith started his career at Kilmarnock in 2004. He played there for four years and won the SFWA Young Player of the Year award in 2006. The next year, he won the SPFA Young Player of the Year award. In 2007, Naismith joined Rangers. With Rangers, he won three league titles in a row, the Scottish Cup in 2009, and the Scottish League Cup twice.

He then moved to Premier League club Everton in 2012, and later to Norwich City in 2016. Naismith also had two loan periods with Heart of Midlothian before signing with them permanently in 2019. He played 51 games for the Scotland national team, scoring ten goals. He retired from playing in 2021.

After retiring, Naismith became a coach at Heart of Midlothian. He was made their temporary manager in April 2023 and then the permanent manager two months later. He left his manager role in September 2024.

Playing Career Highlights

Early Life and Start

Steven Naismith was born in Irvine, Scotland. He grew up in a nearby town called Stewarton. He played for a local boys' club team before joining Rangers as a young player. Steven also overcame dyslexia and now helps the Dyslexia Scotland charity.

Time at Kilmarnock

Naismith played for Kilmarnock's youth team for several years. He became a professional player in August 2002. His first senior game was in April 2004. He also won the Scottish Youth Cup with the under-19s team.

In February 2005, he scored his first goal for the club. During the 2005–06 season, he won the SPL Young Player of the Month award twice. He also won the SFWA Young Player of the Year award after scoring twelve goals. He scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) in a cup semi-final. In 2007, he won the SPFA Young Player of the Year award.

Joining Rangers

In August 2007, Naismith joined Rangers for about £1.9 million. He made his first appearance for Rangers the very next day. He scored his first goal for the club in September 2007. Naismith also played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time in November 2007.

In April 2008, he suffered a serious knee injury. This meant he couldn't play for almost a year. He missed important finals for Rangers that season.

Returning to Action

Naismith returned to playing in December 2008. He played in the 2009 Scottish Cup Final win after being out for most of the season. In the 2009–10 season, he helped Rangers win the 2010 Scottish League Cup Final. He also helped Rangers win their first league title in a row.

Naismith playing for Rangers in 2010

The 2010–11 season was his best for Rangers, as he scored 15 goals. He scored the winning goal in a UEFA Champions League match against Bursaspor. He also scored the winning goal against Hearts in stoppage time. Naismith signed a new contract with Rangers in December 2010. He helped Rangers win the league title for the third time in a row. He was also named Rangers' Player of the Year by both players and fans.

Final Season at Rangers

In the 2011–12 season, Naismith started strong, scoring in many games. He scored two goals against Celtic in September 2011. He had a special goal celebration where he crossed his arms, which meant he was sending a kiss to his girlfriend. In October 2011, he got another serious knee injury. This ended his season early.

In June 2012, Naismith left Rangers because of financial issues at the club.

Moving to Everton

Naismith (left) playing for Everton in 2015

Naismith joined Everton in July 2012. He signed a four-year deal. He made his first appearance for Everton in a win against Manchester United. He scored his first goal for Everton in a derby match against Liverpool.

In September 2013, Naismith scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Chelsea. He played well in the 2013–14 season, helping Everton win seven league games in a row. He scored eight goals that season, helping Everton get their highest points total in the Premier League.

In the 2014–15 season, he scored in the first three games. He also scored his first European goal for Everton in a UEFA Europa League match. In December 2014, he signed a new contract with Everton. In August 2015, Everton turned down an offer from Norwich City for him. In a match against Chelsea, Naismith scored a 'perfect' hat-trick (goals with his head, left foot, and right foot).

Time at Norwich City

On January 19, 2016, Naismith joined Norwich City. He signed a three-and-a-half-year contract. He scored in his first game for Norwich, which was a 5–4 loss to Liverpool. In the 2017–18 season, he had an ankle injury that limited his playing time.

Loan to Heart of Midlothian

On January 18, 2018, Naismith joined Heart of Midlothian (Hearts) on loan. He made his debut a few days later in a cup win. He scored the winning goal against Hibernian in a league game in May.

He returned to Hearts on loan for the 2018–19 season. He was the team's top scorer and won the Player of the Year award.

Permanent Move to Hearts

Naismith was released by Norwich in 2019. He then signed a four-year contract with Hearts on August 1. In January 2020, he was made Hearts captain. He helped the team win promotion back to the Scottish Premiership. In 2021, at age 34, Naismith announced he was retiring from playing football.

International Career

Naismith chose to play for Scotland, even though he could have played for Wales or England. He scored in his first game for the Scotland U21s in March 2006. He also scored in his first game for the Scotland B team.

He was first called up to the Scotland squad in June 2007. He made his debut in a friendly match against the Faroe Islands. He scored his first goal for Scotland in a 3–2 loss to Spain in October 2010. He earned his 50th cap (game) for Scotland in November 2019.

Playing Style

Naismith mostly played as a forward during his career. However, he was also used as a midfielder. He could play on the right, left, or in the center. His ability to play in many positions was a key strength. Coaches praised his committed and fearless nature. They also liked his awareness and smart play on the field.

Coaching Career

Hearts Coaching Roles

After retiring in June 2021, Naismith became the player development manager at Hearts. He also joined the coaching staff for the Scotland national team. In 2022, he became the manager of Hearts' 'B' team.

In April 2023, he was named interim manager of the Hearts first team. He was made permanent manager in June 2023. However, he was called "technical director" because he didn't have all the required coaching licenses for European games. In September 2023, he officially became the head coach.

On September 22, 2024, Naismith was sacked as Hearts manager. This happened after the team had a difficult start to the season.

Charitable Work

Steven Naismith is an ambassador for Dyslexia Scotland. This means he helps promote the charity. He also started a program to help injured former military personnel find jobs. He supports centers that help homeless people in Glasgow and Liverpool. In August 2014, he gave tickets for Everton matches to unemployed people looking for work.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

International Goals

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Naismith goal.

List of international goals scored by Steven Naismith

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	12 October 2010	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	Spain	1–2	2–3	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
2	6 September 2011	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	Lithuania	1–0	1–0	UEFA Euro 2012 qualification
3	15 October 2013	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	Croatia	2–0	2–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
4	14 October 2014	National Stadium, Warsaw, Poland	Poland	2–1	2–2	UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
5	29 March 2015	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	Gibraltar	4–1	6–1	UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
6	11 October 2015	Estádio Algarve, Faro, Portugal	Gibraltar	6–0	6–0	UEFA Euro 2016 qualification
7	22 March 2017	Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland	Canada	1–1	1–1	Friendly
8	10 September 2018	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	Albania	2–0	2–0	2018–19 UEFA Nations League C
9	14 October 2018	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	Portugal	1–3	1–3	Friendly
10	19 November 2019	Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland	Kazakhstan	2–1	3–1	UEFA Euro 2020 qualification

Managerial Record

• Initially caretaker at Hearts; appointed permanently on 7 June 2023.
• Statistics include UEFA Conference League matches where Naismith acted as a "technical director".

Honours and Awards

Player Achievements

Rangers

• Scottish Premier League: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Scottish Cup: 2008–09
• Scottish League Cup: 2009–10, 2010–11

Hearts

• Scottish Championship: 2020–21

Individual Awards

• SFWA Young Player of the Year: 2005–06
• SPFA Young Player of the Year: 2006–07
• SPL Young Player of the Year: 2005–06, 2006–07
• Scottish Premier League Player of the Month: March 2006, October 2010
• Scottish Premiership Player of the Month: September 2018
• Scottish Premier League Young Player of the Month: August 2005, January 2006, March 2007

Manager Achievements

• Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month: November 2023

Images for kids

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  Naismith playing for Everton in 2015

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  Naismith playing for Rangers in 2010

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  Naismith (left) playing for Everton in 2015