Steven Naismith vows Hearts kids will get chance as he talks squad depth if Europe is secured

Steven Naismith insists he won’t need a bigger squad even if Hearts qualify for European group stage football.

The Hearts boss has already been busy with his plans for the summer having tied up Ross County playmaker Yan Dhanda, Motherwell skipper Blair Spittal and Livingston wing-back James Penrice on pre-contracts.

Boss Naismith is planning more business on the playing side but is also making sure there is a pathway for the club’s youngsters. Aidan Denholm, Macaulay Tait, James Wilson and Finlay Pollock are among the academy players who have featured this term. Hearts could be guaranteed at least six group games in the new look Conference League next season but Naismith insists that doesn’t mean he would have to carry an inflated squad.

And the Jambos gaffer, whose side are 11 points clear in third ahead of Saturday’s clash at St Mirren, said: “If we get into Europe, it doesn’t mean I want a big squad. We’ve got youth players here and it gives them an opportunity. It’s harder to keep a full squad engaged and motivated when they can’t see an opportunity.

“I don’t think the size of our squad will massively change. We might improve it by one or two in terms of numbers-wise. But we’ve got some good young players that will get opportunities if we make European football as well.”

Naismith has refused to speak about any individual players despite agreeing deals with Dhanda, Spittal and Penrice but acknowledges getting players in early will help with the settling-in process ahead of a potentially busy spell of fixtures.

He added: “In an ideal world, that’s what you do. Football isn’t as simple as that and the options that are available at the start of the window aren’t always the same at the end. In the two windows I’ve dealt