Zander Clark has sang the praises of Steven Naismith as the interim boss gets set to learn his Hearts fate.
The Jambos will sit down and make a decision on the next permanent manager sooner rather than later with the Scottish Premiership season now over. The Gorgie outfit secured fourth spot and a crack at Europa Conference League qualifying after a derby day draw with Hibs on the final day. The home side were reduced to ten-men but held on for a long period to secure that result that gave them the bragging rights as they finished above their rivals.
Scotland squad keeper Clark has hailed the managerial style of Naisy since he took over the hot seat after Robbie Neilson's sacking. He's hailed his 'high standards' demand with the former Hearts striker and Scotland international admitting at the weekend he is 'ready' for management on a full-time basis.
READ MORE: Hearts vs Hibs full-time derby chaos as Tynecastle rammy sees players and staff clash in ugly scenes
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Clark said: “He’s been great since he came in. He’s exactly the same as a manager as he was as a player – he’s not afraid to dig you out and have a pop at you when you deserve it. He also knows how to put an arm around you.
“It’s outwith my control what happens there. But I’m just glad we could pick up the result he needed for him in the derby. He’s got us back to wanting to play football in their half, making the opposition defences work. It’s not that we weren’t doing that prior. It’s just that, as players, we couldn’t seem to get it going.
“Naisy coming in has brought a new voice, he’s been positive, he was delighted to be given the opportunity and that brought positivity back into the changing room. We were on a poor run of form, confidence was low. It was just us searching for that form we knew was within us.
“We knew there was quality in the squad. He’s helped us bring it out. He demands high standards. At Hearts, you need that week in, week out. He certainly drives that.”
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