Naismith tips Wilson for bright future at Hearts

Hearts head coach Steven Naismith has backed young striker James Wilson to be a "big player" for the club moving forwards.

The 17-year-old made his league debut in Saturday's 3-0 win over Dundee, and Naismith says he has had to work hard for the opportunity.

“Young players will get opportunities here but they are not just going to get given opportunities for the sake of it,” Naismith said.

“James has had to be patient, he’s been frustrated at times that he’s not had a chance and not been able to get in but I’ve lived it as a young player and I understand it.

“If he goes in too early his confidence can take a drop which then takes four months to get back to where he was.

“We need him to have a steady rise and going forward he will be a big player like Macaulay Tait and Aidan Denholm this season.”