Steven Naismith hasn’t ruled out signing a pre-contract agreement with Hearts and making his stay at Tynecastle permanent.

The stand-in skipper is currently on a season-long loan from Norwich City, following on from his six-month temporary switch during the second half of last campaign.

With 11 goals to his name after a blistering start to the season, it would seem a no brainer for manager Craig Levein to offer Naismith a deal as soon as he can, and the striker hasn’t ruled out the possibility of becoming a fully fledged Hearts player.

"In all honesty, I’ve not thought about it at all," he said. "In the last week or so, it’s been more brought up.

(Image: X01095)

"But I’ve not thought about anything, even the fact that I’ll be on a free transfer in the summer.

"I’ve loved the start of the season. I wouldn’t rule it out at all.

"But I also know that this season, for me, is about my football – about playing and playing and playing.

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"I’m not going to start doing things that will upset that one way or the other, whether that be with Hearts or whatever.

"But Hearts have been great to me in the past year, 18 months come the end of the season, so that’s something that I do appreciate.

“Journalists bringing it up more. Nobody else. I have been playing well and not thinking about it.

“When you are on loan, you just think: ‘Right, I’m on loan, enjoy.’

“There is an end point to that loan. My situation is slightly different in that I’ll be out of contract.

“But I think everybody that’s been involved in this loan is happy."

Might parent club Norwich want him back if he keeps up his current form?

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“No, I don’t think so,“ he said. “As a club, they’ve moved on – and they’re flying as well, which is good to see.

“But there has been a big change there. I am, unfortunately, part of the past there”