Steven Naismith is hoping to see several other Hearts players pledge their futures to the club in the coming weeks after Alan Forrest signed a new contract until 2026.
The 27-year-old’s initial deal was due to expire this summer, but he has earned an extension after establishing himself as a key man for the Jambos this term.
Naismith praised Forrest for the way he has handled the step up since moving to Hearts from Livingston in 2022.
“Alan needed to prove to the fans he’s good enough and understand the demands at the club and I think over his time here he’s done that,” said the manager.
“I think this period is the most consistent he’s been. That’s something I challenged him with at the start of the season in terms of impacting games more and needing to be one of the most consistent performers, and he’s done that as well.
“It’s great that we’re keeping a valuable asset, but Alan deserves it more than a lot of the boys in the group.”
Hearts are in contract talks with several other players, including Craig Gordon, Beni Baningime, Craig Halkett and Lawrence Shankland.
“There are a few more (beyond those listed) that we’re talking to, whether it be younger players in the full-time environment or first-team players, but I’m hoping a fair few will have signed new contracts in the coming weeks,” said Naismith.
Shankland’s future has been the main talking point among supporters, with the free-scoring forward’s current deal expiring in the summer of 2025.
“We’ve been in conversations for weeks,” said Naismith. “We’ve not had any interest or offers.
“I think a lot of that speculation is coming from outside, punditry and the media. Lawrence is playing the best football of his life and he needs to weigh up the pros of staying at Hearts while also understanding that it’s a short career.
“He’s got to do the best he can for him and his family. Everybody within the club and supporters need to appreciate that and respect it and just enjoy him while he’s here, whether that’s for the rest of this contract or beyond.”
Andy Halliday’s Hearts career effectively ended on Friday after he joined Motherwell on loan until the end of the season, with a view to making the move permanent when his Jambos deal expires.
“Andy’s found it tough to get his minutes in the first half of the season, but professionally he’s been top level in training,” said Naismith.
“At his age he wants to play. There might be a couple of others who go out, but there’s no pressure from the club to lose any players.”
Hearts kick off their Scottish Gas Scottish Cup campaign with a short trip to northern Edinburgh to face cinch League Two side Spartans on Saturday.
“It will be an awkward game,” said Naismith. “You’ve got the beauty of the Scottish Cup and going to new surroundings, which will be tricky.
“There’s also the expectation that we should just turn up and roll these teams over, but it’s never the case.
“Nowadays, in the professional game, the athleticism and organisation of teams is very good.
“We’ve got a good understanding of Spartans because we’ve got a good link with them as a club.
“Our B team play their games there (at Ainslie Park), they’re a fantastic community club and we played them earlier in the season in a bounce game. It will be a tough game.”
Sessegnon rejoins boyhood club Fulham after Tottenham departure
Ryan Sessegnon has resigned for Fulham on a free transfer, five years after leaving the club.
The 24-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Cottagers with the option to extend for a further year following his departure from Tottenham last month.
In his first spell at the club, Sessegnon worked his way through the academy over 11 years, scoring 25 goals in 120 first-team appearances.
He then moved to Spurs in a £25million deal in 2019, though struggled to nail down a place in North London, making just 57 appearances in all competitions, and scoring three goals.
"It's amazing to be back. Emotional, as well," he told FFCtv. "It's where it started for me, where everything began, and it's amazing to be back.
"It will always be home for me. I think it had the feeling that it was meant to be, coming back here, so I'm delighted to get it done."
Sessegnon is Fulham's first signing of the transfer window, though they have seen plenty of first-team departures already, with Joao Palhinha, Tosin Adarabioyo and Bobby De Cordova-Reid all leaving the club.
Lindstrom joins Everton on loan from Napoli
Everton have completed the loan signing of Jesper Lindstrom from Napoli, the club confirmed on Friday.
Lindstrom will join the Toffees for the 2024-25 season with the deal including an option to make the move permanent at the end of the campaign.
The 24-year-old becomes the fourth addition at Goodison Park following the arrivals of Tim Iroegbunam, Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Harrison.
Lindstrom arrives after a difficult season with Napoli, playing just 416 minutes in 22 league appearances for the Serie A side.
The Denmark international arrived in Naples from Eintracht Frankfurt where he scored 14 goals in 80 appearances, helping the German side lift the Europa League in the 2021-22 season.
“I feel very good. It’s amazing to represent Everton," Lindstrom said in his first interview with the club.
"This is a big club, with big history, a good stadium and, as I’ve seen, very good facilities as well. I’m very, very happy to be here and I feel like this is a good fit.
“I actually heard of Everton’s interest a while ago – not only from now but previously. England is very similar to Denmark so I will feel at home quickly.
“I’ve spoken to the manager. It sounds as though he likes the way I play football and I can be a good fit for the team with my speed, so now I want to deliver."
The search for another attacking option out wide had been the priority at Everton, having seen Arnaut Danjuma return to Villarreal following the completion of his loan deal, and the sale of Lewis Dobbin to Aston Villa.
Everton managed 40 goals last season, the second worst in the Premier League ahead of Sheffield United (35), and Dyche believes Lindstrom has a lot to offer in the final third.
"Jesper is a player with very good ability who can operate in a number of different attacking roles, which will benefit us heading into the new season," said Dyche.
"He joins us with a range of different experiences. He is hungry and eager to succeed with us, and that's a strong starting point as we look to add more productivity to our attack."
Maguire labels England criticism 'ridiculous' following Euro 2024 display
Harry Maguire has defended his England team-mates after their performance at Euro 2024, labelling the criticism as "a bit ridiculous".
England reached back-to-back European Championship finals but suffered the same outcome in Berlin as they did at Wembley three years ago.
The defeat against Spain saw Gareth Southgate become the first head coach in the history of the tournament to end up on the losing side in two finals.
Southgate called time on his eight-year tenure in charge of the Three Lions two days after the tournament ended, winning 59.8% of his 102 games in charge.
Despite this, underwhelming performances in Germany saw cups thrown towards the former England head coach as supporters jeered the players.
Southgate came under fire for his defensive approach, though only Walter Winterbottom (383) and Alf Ramsey (224) have overseen more England goals than his 213.
However, Maguire has come to the defence of his team-mates.
“Yes, performances might not have been amazing but it is tournament football," Maguire told BBC Sport.
"It is not as expansive. There are far less risks taken. You can’t afford to make mistakes or get caught going out in a full press. You saw throughout the tournament there were not many high-scoring wins.
“I just don’t know what the media or fans expected of this team. Was it to go and beat Serbia 4-0 in the first game and then beat Denmark 3-0? Did they think it was just going to be a walk in the park?”
Under Southgate's stewardship, England reached more major tournament finals in four attempts (two) than they did in their first 23 appearances at the World Cup and Euros (one).
Maguire played 63 times during Southgate's time in charge, a total only bettered by Harry Kane (81), Kyle Walker (70), Jordan Pickford and John Stones (both 68).
Maguire was forced to miss the tournament having picked up an injury in May, forcing him to miss Manchester United's FA Cup success against Manchester City.
Euro 2024 was the first major tournament he has missed during his international career, having become a mainstay in central defence alongside Stones.
Maguire's 17 appearances at major tournaments saw him keep seven clean sheets, but he insisted that missing out on Euro 2024 was difficult for him to comprehend.
"To miss out was tough," said Maguire.
“It has been really frustrating, working all season to get myself mentally and physically at the top of my game and be in a position to feel I could really make a difference for Manchester United and my country."
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