‘Shankland in prime bracket of Hearts legends’, says Naismith

“He’s up with the rest of them and that’s only going to get better as he scores more goals.

“For the club and fans, it’s as big as any signing that’s going to come in.”

While many Hearts supporters had resigned themselves to a future without Shankland, Naismith says he was “calm” over the contract situation and says a drawn-out process was inevitable given the striker’s goal-scoring record.

In two of the past three league seasons, he has scored more than 20 league goals, bagging 68 in total.

“When there’s a player at that age performing at that level, they are going to take their time and see what’s out there,” Naismith added.

“I was very calm about it all. Shanks was going to have interest because his levels were so high, but I also did know how much he loves Hearts and how well he was liked.”