He counts Everton and Rangers alongside his former clubs too and is now on the move.
Steven Naismith has returned to football as the former Hearts and Everton man joins Steve Clarke’s Scotland coaching staff for a second time.
The former forward has been out of frontline football since depaerting his post as Tynecastle head coach last year. He has since embarked on various punditry opportunities but has now been accepted a chance to replace John Carver in the Scotland set up after the ex Newcastle United man’s switch to Polish outfit Lechia Gdansk.
Naismith started his playing career at Kilmarnock before featuring for Rangers, Everton and Norwich City before a move back to Scotland where he hung up his boots. He started coaching within the Jambos academy and moved his way up to becoming head coach permanently in 2023. Naismith previously joined the Scotland coaching staff in 2021 prior to his leading role at Tynecastle.
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Steven Naismith returns to Scotland
Andrew Hughes, Leicester City’s set-piece coach, has moved into that role with the national team in two new additions to Clarke’s backroom. The head coach said: “I am delighted to have Steven and Andrew with us for the World Cup qualifying campaign. Steven has been with us before and brings a real complementary skill set to myself and Alan Irvine.
“He has had opportunities to return to full-time club football, so it says a lot for his pride in the national team that he has agreed to join up with us again. I was really impressed by a number of potential candidates we’d spoken to when John left to continue at Lechia Gdansk but the fact we’ve worked together before makes for a seamless transition.
“I am also really pleased to have Andrew with us. He has coached in a variety of roles since retiring from playing but has excelled as set-piece coach at Norwich City and now Leicester City and I am grateful to Marti Cifuentes for allowing Andrew to work with us during the international windows.”
Why Steven Naismith has joined Scotland coaching staff
Naismith said: “I am really excited to be rejoining the Scotland men’s national team coaching staff under Steve. When I left Hearts, I made a point of not jumping straight back in at the first offer but to reflect on my coaching experiences and wait for something that really excited me.
“When I first spoke to Steve about the possibility of coming back it was a no-brainer: I loved playing for my country, I’ve loved being part of the coaching team previously and I can’t wait to help support the mission to take Scotland to a World Cup again.”
Hughes added: “From the moment I got the call from Steve I have felt extremely honoured to be invited to work with the Scotland men’s national team. My father is Scottish and as well as this being a proud moment for me and my family, it is a hugely exciting time as a coach to be part of a World Cup qualifying campaign, with such a talented squad, following back-to-back Euro qualifications. I can’t wait to get started.”
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