Naisy praising Walter, interview

[Boab 73]

Exclusive by John McGarry

April 15, 2011

There were nearly two million reasons for Steven Naismith to realise how highly Walter Smith rated him when he first drove through the gates of Murray Park.

Yet it was only after the manager told the former Kilmarnock striker face to face that the penny finally dropped.

Naismith's Rangers career was only just getting into top gear three years ago when a cruciate injury sidelined him for eight months.

Perhaps typically of any young player desperate to make up for lost time, Naismith's body struggled to keep up with his brain's desire to be back to his best as he returned to the fold.

Smith instantly recognised the problem, though, and a simple reassuring chat with the player was just what the doctor ordered.

The manager's reassurance and guidance has definitely turned me into the player I am today

Since then, Naismith hasn't looked back. One of Gers' most consistent performers these days, he fully appreciates the part his gaffer's man management played in moulding him into the player he is today.

He said: "He's taken me from the stage of potential to hopefully doing it week in, week out. In the last 18 months I've played most games for Rangers and the manager has played a massive part in that.

"Moving to a club like Rangers is massive and I don't think you appreciate until you are here the pressures you are under.

"Coming from Kilmarnock, you think it's going to be a breeze. It's not. It's hard work and the manager's reassurance and guidance has definitely turned me into the player I am today.

"When you come back from an injury like that, you do have a wee bit of doubt in your mind whether you are good enough.

"But the manager somehow reads your mind on the training ground. He knows when to pull you in and have a chat with you.

"When I was injured and maybe coming on as a sub and trying too hard, basically, I got pulled in on the Monday and just kind of reassured I was good enough. He told me he had confidence in me.

"That definitely makes a difference. I've been playing most weeks for Rangers since then and hoped if I was doing that I'd get involved in the international scene.

"I guess there's similarities between the manager and Craig Levein in terms of the way he can pull the squad together."

I don't think too much will change because we've been successful

It's not just in the domain of man management that Naismith believes Smith leaves other managers in the starting blocks.

He knows players' abilities instinctively - both his own and opponents.

Naismith added: "He's different class. His reading of games, how teams will set up and what they're going to do is unbelievable.

"Before the first time he played me in central midfield, he brought it up but I never really thought 'Oh, I'm going to play centre mid'.

"Then a few weeks later, that's where I was. It's actually a position I enjoy and he must think I've got some qualities that work for that position.

"He also played me as a lone striker against Seville in the Champions League. Again, I never really did that too much, but I felt I did alright.

"He's obviously been in the game long enough that he's seen enough in players to see what it takes to play in each position."

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/notw/nol_scottish/nol_scottish_sport/1297517/Steven-Naismith-Walter-Smith-Rangers.html

I think of him as our Ji-sung-Park often, so much running.

[4MenHadADream 122]

Its been great to see wee Naisy come good in the last 18 months, I began to fear that constant injuries would curtail his potential and even ruin his career, but he seems to have got over that, and we are all seeing the player that he really is. Think he will be a Gers player for the remainder of his career