Hearts’ match against Celtic at Tynecastle on Wednesday night is bound to be a feisty affair. To make the game even more intriguing, former Hibernian boss Neil Lennon will be in the dugout for Celtic as interim manager.
And if there is one Hearts player who will be able to rise above the chaos and drive the Jambos onto victory it’s Steven Naismith.
Naismith seems to thrive playing against Celtic. He was hugely influential in Hearts’ 1-0 win over Celtic in August.
He seemed to infuriate the Hoops players and fans that day after a foul on Jonny Hayes. Naismith might well be playing on the edge once more on Wednesday night.
Craig Levein will be confident that Naismith will be able to give the Celtic defence a hard time. They could take advantage of a side who could be struggling to overcome the departure of Brendan Rodgers.
Even though Rodgers will no longer be in the Celtic dugout, Hearts will need to be at their very best to get the three points.
That includes Naismith. But as he has been one of Hearts’ best players this season Levein will have plenty of confidence in his ability.
In a big game Naismith almost always delivers. And it would be no shock to see him deliver three points for Hearts in their battle for a top six place.