Steven Naismith reveals ‘tough’ conversation he had with Hearts’ Kye Rowles

Hearts beat Aberdeen 2-0 on Saturday in the Scottish Premiership and are now sitting fifth. Steven Naismith’s side had been three games without a win before beating the Dons at Tynecastle and while Yutaro Oda and Liam Boyce were the goalscorers, it was the Hearts’ defence who were the real match-winners.

Frankie Kent and Kye Rowles worked tirelessly, along with Stephen Kingsley and Nathanial Atkinson to keep a clean sheet for the squad and while Zander Clark was still required to put in some incredible saves, he was not nearly as active as he has had to previously due to the work of the four players in front of him.

Australia’s Rowles has come under criticism in recent weeks after struggling to find form with the Jambos but he has been able to quell the concerns following a tremendous performance against Aberdeen. Speaking to Edinburgh News, the 25-year-old believed Saturday was ‘definitely my best performance this year’ and has no intention of making it a one off.

Meanwhile, Steven Naismith has also revealed the performance-changing conversation he had with Rowles ahead of Saturday’s clash against the Dons, confirming the defender has indeed found the start of the 2023/24 season a struggle.

“I challenged him before. In recent weeks he’s found it tough at moments,” Naismith said. “I think it’s been small moments in games but the position he plays, it’s been magnified because it impacts whether it’s a goal conceded; or a chance conceded; or we don’t sustain pressure in the attacking half.

“I had a good conversation with him and he showed he’s mentally tough to put in the good performance he did. I agree he was really good but again overall, our composure at the end of the game, not to get carried away and lack discipline showed because Aberdeen were never really a threat at the end of the game.”

It remains to be seen whether the Australian international can continue his form as the Jambos take on St Mirren in Paisley this weekend. But he is determined to put in more frequent match-winning performances for the squad, saying: “Definitely this year it’s my best performance. I am just looking to build on that. I want that to be a more consistent thing and that means I can contribute positive things to the team.”