Hearts forward Steven Naismith will enjoy his return to semi-final action after shedding the worry that came with his younger years in the game.
But he expects his less experienced colleagues to approach Sunday’s Betfred Cup clash against Celtic with the same hunger that has seen them lead the Ladbrokes Premiership table all season.
Naismith did not show much sign of nerves in his first semi-final experience – hitting a hat-trick in a League Cup win for Kilmarnock against Falkirk in 2007.
And the 32-year-old is relishing this occasion all the more after over seven years since his last appearance in the latter stages of a cup competition, when he helped Rangers to glory.
“When I sit and think back to when I was younger, you use up a lot more nervous energy when you are younger, worrying about situations and the build up to a game,” the Scotland international said.
“This whole season I have lost a lot of that and the enjoyment levels are definitely higher than when you are younger because you are constantly thinking the worst. I have been through most situations in and around a football club now so there is definitely a lot more enjoyment there.”
When asked what advice he would give to the players making their first semi-final appearance, Naismith said: “The biggest thing is to enjoy it.
“I say that every week in the changing room. You can’t underestimate how good a feeling it is to be playing professional football, so you need to enjoy it.”
Naismith is convinced the Hearts squad has what it takes to cope with the occasion of playing in front of more than 60,000 fans at BT Murrayfield.
“This season when we’ve had setbacks, that’s been a big occasion for a lot of the boys,” the on-loan Norwich player said.
“Our first defeat against Rangers, then having to deal with a two-week international break, and then coming back from that with the nerves around that, was a big hurdle.
“The biggest difference for me this season with Hearts is we have a lot of hungry players who, no matter the occasion, just want to go out and do well and personally progress their career.
“Nothing really fazes the younger ones, it’s as if they are on a mission to progress. That’s the sign of a good player.
“You’ve also got a lot of older heads who have been there and done it and know what to expect and know what it takes, and hopefully that will bring the calmness for us.”
