Steven Naismith signed the midfielder on loan from Charlton for the summer, but he hopes to extend his stay.
Scott Fraser confesses he is already considering a long-term stay with Hearts.
Steven Naismith signed the midfielder on loan from Charlton until the summer, and the move appeared to be in danger when the goalposts at his parent club moved. However, patience paid off for both the Tynecastle manager and the player, as he was granted his wish to return north of the border and closer to home on a loan basis.
The loan agreement does not include a buy option, according to the Edinburgh Evening News, but the subject is expected to be reviewed closer to the end of the season, given Fraser still has a year left on his Charlton contract. He’s already played twice for his new team, defeating Dundee and St Johnstone, as the capital club remains in third place in the race to finish first behind Celtic and Rangers and qualify for European football next season. Kilmarnock, their nearest opponents, are 12 points behind in fourth place with 13 league games remaining this season.
He is only two games into his loan at Hearts, but extending the deal beyond the initial loan is something he wants to do, and the more training sessions and match minutes he gets under his belt as the weeks pass, the better chance he has of impressing boss Naismith enough to make it happen.
When asked about the likelihood of settling down in Gorgie, he replied, “Yeah, I guess so. The manager mentioned some previous interest. Perhaps it wasn’t the appropriate moment for me or my club back then.
“Obviously, budgetary constraints come into play. In the last six months, I have sensed a lack of happiness in both my football and personal life.I have to respect the fact that my Charlton contract is still valid for another year. I admire the club and all they done for me, but I don’t think it’s a secret that I want to come back home permanently. Can something be done or not? Hopefully. We will see.
“It’s fine that the manager has expressed past interest and that he would like to do something longer-term, but if I come in and force things, that’s on me. That is my plan: to demonstrate that I have the ability to come in and improve the squad. I believe that the more training sessions I attend and minutes I spend on the pitch, the better I will become.
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