Shankland and Gordon set for Hearts captaincy sitdown as uncertainty looms over who will keep armband

Steven Naismith admits he has a tough decision on his hands whether to hand Craig Gordon the captain's armband back - or leave it with Lawrence Shankland.

Gordon remains the official club captain but Shankland has stepped into the breach while the veteran No.1 has been on the sidelines with injury. Handing it to last season's top scorer has been a masterstroke that Naismith himself acknowledges has lifted his game but Gordon is gearing up for a return and that leaves the armband in limbo.

40-year-old Gordon has done nothing to merit losing it but Naismith also feels it would be harsh on Shankland to take it off him. But it's a tough decision he'll have to make as head coach as the Hearts boss told the Edinburgh Evening News: “It’s a conversation we will have. That would probably be another extension of adding a bit more pressure on (to Gordon), so we will wait and see.

“When Craig comes back in to training full-time and is getting near the point where he is fit enough to play games, then as a manager that is a decision which needs to be made. From my experience, whether you have the armband or not, you have a responsibility. The older pros here are very good in that respect.

“Shanks having the armband has improved an element of his game in terms of him being a leader. The way he conducts himself day-to-day around the training ground is good. It's something I noticed from afar, even last season. I knew him as a younger player when I played. He was coming through and got into the national team but I probably hadn't seen those leadership skills that much. Back then, he was an in an environment where he was never that leader.

“I can really see from last season to now that he has taken that on board and been comfortable