Steven Naismith has a big job as Heart of Midlothian manager this summer, not only to bring a few more players to the club but to prevent the good ones he has at his disposal from leaving.
Winger Josh Ginnelly was one of their bright sparks last term, registering 20 goal contributions – 13 goals and seven assists – across all competitions has been offered a new contract by the Tynecastle outfit, however, they are waiting on a response.
Three Championship clubs have reportedly offered him a contract and Maccabi Haifa also hold an interest in the player.
Keeping him could prove decisive to their chances of qualifying for the Europa Conference League group stages, which would give the club a monetary boost.
Naismith will also be aiming to rejuvenate some of the players already at Hearts, with defender Craig Halkett hoping to recover soon from his agonising anterior cruciate ligament injury that he suffered midway through last season, and he isn’t planned to return until the autumn.
Getting him back to full fitness will be the key priority for Naismtih, especially due to his importance to the club.
Could Craig Halkett be a key player for Hearts next season?
Former Tynecastle defender Andy Webster certainly thinks so, saying: “I think they definitely miss Craig Halkett when he doesn't play. I think he's a big player for Hearts.”
Despite missing the vast majority of the campaign due to injury, in the eight matches that he played, Hearts were unbeaten in seven of them, clearly showing how important he is to their defence.
Since joining Hearts from Livingston in 2019, he has played over 100 times while also netting ten goals from centre-back, a solid total and he enjoyed his finest campaign for the club during 2021/22 as they reached the Scottish Cup final and finished third in the Premiership.
Across 28 games, the £3.4k-per-week titan helped his side keep eight clean sheets while winning 6.9 total duels per game – a success rate of 67% – and making 1.1 tackles and 4.5 clearances per game, showcasing his abilities at the heart of their defence.
Indeed, Halkett ranked fourth in the squad for overall rating that season (7.14/10) while also ranking first for accurate passes per game (51.1) and clearances per match, while finishing sixth for tackles made each outing, further indicating just how important he was to the team.
There is no doubt Hearts missed the centre-back during his injury woes as they finished fourth in the league and the onus will be on Naismith to revive him ahead of a crucial campaign and get him back fighting fit.
