Steven Naismith is Hearts' talisman '“ but what's his best role?

When attempting to pinpoint Hearts' prospective key man for the upcoming season, it is hard to look beyond Steven Naismith.

Pedigree-wise, the 31-year-old is comfortably the standout name among the club’s 13 summer signings thus far after returning at the start of July on a season-long loan from Norwich City following a four-month stint with the Edinburgh club in the second half of last season. Of those already at Hearts, only Christophe Berra, the inspirational captain, can be bracketed alongside Naismith in terms of their likely importance to the team.

While Berra was the linchpin of the defence and indeed the entire team last season, Hearts are now at a stage where they need to become more than just a side renowned for defensive resolve and being hard to beat. Although the squad now has a level of depth whereby they shouldn’t be reliant on any particular player to enjoy prosperity, it is clear Naismith, whichever role he is given, will be viewed as the fulcrum of the attacking department of the team, the man charged with knitting everything together and ensuring there is a greater level of on-field harmony between midfielders and strikers than was the case last season.