Steven Naismith talks Hearts transfers and key emphasis on arrivals as he details pre-season camp benefits

Steven Naismith has detailed the importance of Hearts' early recruitment with the emphasis on bringing 'characters' to Tynecastle.

The Jambos - ready for another crack at European group stage football this season - are currently back in pre-season training as preparations get underway for the campaign ahead. The capital club will face Rangers in a blockbuster Scottish Premiership opener in early August with a Europa League play-off also to come and the guarantee of group stage football in the Europa Conference League until early 2025.

Naismith and his team have been busy in the market already with a host of pre-contracts signed with the likes of Blair Spittal and Yan Dhanda while the Jambos have also scoured further afield to snap up former Sevilla forward Musa Drammeh. All new recruits have settled in perfectly so far with the manager outlining the key reasons to getting the work done early. He told Hearts TV: “It was an important part. We got the four pre-contract guys in and sorted, that was great.

"We managed to spend more time with them and give them a bit more information before they came in. The ones that were in a bit later have joined the group and as I’ve said over the last two windows, the emphasis on characters has been big.

"They’ve all settled in great. We’ve got a brilliant squad for anybody new who is coming in, they’re very welcoming, and they drag the boys with them.”

Hearts will face former Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou in pre-season when he brings his Spurs team north of the border. Naisy can't wait to see his team test themselves against the 'world class' stars in the ranks of the EPL outfit.

He said: “There is good history between ourselves and Spurs. There is not much that needs to be said about