Before the start of last season, Steven Naismith’s career appeared to have hit a brick wall. After joining Rangers in the summer of 2007, he had failed to fully establish himself in the Rangers first team, scoring just 9 goals during an injury stricken three seasons in Glasgow. Fans began to wonder if his Rangers career was soon to come to an end, and it was unclear how he would fit into the team if he stayed.
It was a far cry from how his career began. After breaking into Kilmarnock’s first team as an 18 year old, Naismith scored 32 goals (28 in the league) in two seasons from 2005 to 2007, and Arsene Wenger even took him down to London for a trial. Although he failed to win a deal at Arsenal, one thing was clear. Steven Naismith had talent.
Then, in the summer of 2007, Rangers came calling. After a bid of less than £500,000, Kilmarnock publicly spurned Rangers advances, calling the bid derisory. English clubs were linked with Naismith as Kilmarnock held firm and rejected higher bids from Rangers. After Naismith handed in a transfer request, reports claimed that Celtic had matched Kilmarnock’s £2million valuation, but Kilmarnock manager Jim Jeffries said that although Celtic had agreed a fee with the club, they didn’t seek permission to speak to the player.
Shortly after that, Naismith withdrew his transfer request and seemed set to stay at Rugby Park for the 07/08 season. But as the transfer deadline approached on August 31st, Rangers made a renewed effort to bring Naismith to Glasgow. After agreeing a £2million fee with Kilmarnock, and personal terms with the player, the SFA confirmed that the deal had been completed at 23:59, just seconds before the close of the window.
As is the case with many young players who join Rangers or Celtic from other Scottish clubs, Naismith initially struggled to establish himself in the starting eleven. But he made 31 appearances in his first season with Rangers, before suffering serious injury in the Scottish Cup semi-final match against St. Johnstone. Defender Martin Hardie landed heavily on Naismith’s knee, causing cruciate ligament damage. Initial reports suggested he would face a year on the sidelines, but he returned in January of 2009. He made just 11 appearances and it seemed like he had returned too quickly, rarely spending much time on the pitch.
Although he played more during the 09/10 season, he scored just four goals and as the new season began, Naismith’s future at Ibrox was unclear.
But last season, something changed. Now fully fit, Naismith made 45 appearances, and regularly put in quality performances in an advanced role on the right. He became more confident, and more willing to stick up for himself, not being afraid to let referees know that he was being fouled.
He finished with a total of 15 goals, almost double the number he had scored in his first three seasons with the club, and also scored for Scotland against World Cup winners Spain at Hampden as Scotland almost claimed an unlikely draw (having been 2-0 down, Scotland fought back to equalise, before a late Fernando Llorente goal gave Spain the win).
And he has started this season where he left off, scoring 6 goals in Rangers first 10 games, including a double in Sunday’s 4-2 victory over Celtic, and also the winning goal for Scotland against Lithuania.
In addition to being a composed finisher, Naismith’s best quality is his movement. Like all the best forwards, he knows how to find space, and how to time runs to beat offside traps and collect the ball in dangerous positions in and around opponent’s penalty areas. Defenders must hate facing him as he never stands still, always looking for the ball.
He’s part of a new generation of talented Scottish players, a group that has the potential to develop into a team that can finally gain Scotland a finals spot at the European Championships or the World Cup again. Alongside the likes of Charlie Adam, Barry Bannan, Scott Brown, Robert Snodgrass and Danny Wilson, Naismith can play a key part in Scotland’s future, and he’ll be a mainstay in the Rangers starting eleven for years to come.
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