Steven Naismith is an experienced campaigner having been involved in football for well over 20 years now.
The former Hearts boss rose through the ranks at Kilmarnock and went on to have a fantastic career playing in the Premier League for the likes of Everton and Norwich City.
With that, there’s no doubt he’s witnessed first-hand some unbelievable goals. But one former Hearts loanee claims it was his goal at Tynecastle in 2005 that Naismith ranks the highest.
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Lee Miller’s best ever goal was scored for Hearts
Lee Miller only played 23 times for Hearts but one of his 11 goals won’t be forgotten in a hurry by many Hearts fans – or Naismith for that matter.
Naismith was on the pitch playing for Kilmarnock and witnessed then 21-year-old Miller unleash a ferocious 20-yard strike into the top corner of the net.
It was a special strike and Miller admits nearly 20 years on, he still watches it when it pops up on his social media feed.
Speaking to Hearts Standard, Miller said: “It still comes up on my Twitter and I love it. I watch it every time. It’s the best goal I’ve scored by a country mile.
“The way it just unfolded, Dennis Wyness laid it off and it was sitting perfectly…I’ve just unleashed.
“A few years back I spoke to Steven Naismith because he was playing in the Kilmarnock team at the time and he always says it’s the best goal he’s ever seen live. Ridiculous.
“It was from a confidence thing. I knew I was trying things that I would not normally try because I knew I wouldn’t get slaughtered for it.
“And I think that probably comes from John Robertson just saying ‘Listen, in that final third go and express yourself, go and do what you can do. That’s why you’re playing here and I want you to try things’.”
Miller loved John Robertson as Hearts boss
Miller admits Hearts legend Robertson gave him a new lease of life in Gorgie and the freedom to express himself after a disappointing time with Bristol City.
The former Scotland striker said: “I wasn’t really that happy at Bristol City, I wasn’t playing. Then my agent said the opportunity to go up to Hearts is there.
“I spoke to Robbo and he was so positive. He wanted to play free-flowing football and for me to come up and just bang in the goals. He was great.
“I came in and I had these silver boots, I had the highlights and all that. I was a bit of a ticket. I’d heard off a few of the boys, because when I came in with the silver boots, they were like, ‘I don’t know about that’.
“Craig Levein was there before and didn’t allow anybody to wear coloured boots. I think that was one of his rules. So I went in and thought, ‘F*** it, I’ll go and speak to the manager’.
“So I chap on his door and say ‘Listen gaffer, I’m just wondering, am I alright wearing these silver boots?’
“He said, ‘I couldn’t care less what boots you wear as long as you’re banging in the goals for me, that is not a problem’. I was like, alright, fine, cool. So that was the beginning of it.”