Steven Naismith reveals how Hearts will spend £5million Euro jackpot and it's not just on new players
The Jambos are set to bank around £5million even if they drop out of the Europa League playoffs into the Conference League.
Steven Naismith has revealed how Hearts will be investing their £5million Euro jackpot.
The Jambos will scoop the prize pot for the second time in three years should they get the point they need between now and the end of the Premiership season to confirm third place. Both Celtic and Rangers reaching the Scottish Cup Final means third is enough to guarantee a place in the Europa League playoff round next season.
That comes with the safety net of the revamped Europa Conference League, which brings with it a £5m bounty. The Tynecastle club went down to FC Zurich in 2022, dropping into a touch Conference League group alongside Istanbul Basaksehir, RFS and eventual finalists Fiorentina. And while some of the dough will go towards strengthening Naismith's squad, the Hearts gaffer has stressed the importance of continually upgrading the facilities, which is on the agenda once again this summer.
“From a club point of view, finance is massive.," he told the Edinburgh Evening News. "It impacts every area. It's really important that we grow as a club year on year. That doesn't mean changing players and making eight signings every summer. It's not about that, it's about building better infrastructure.
“Last summer, we improved nutrition and meeting spaces at the training ground. In January, we improved the recovery and hydrotherapy stuff. This summer, we are hoping to improve the pitches outside. We want them to be as perfect as they can be for what we are naturally going to be playing on at home. We are putting a lot of money into that to make sure it's the best quality we can get.
“All these things are done because we are being successful and potentially getting the European money. That gives you bigger budgets, lets you spend more money on things that can bring value and make you better. To the public, these things aren't seen at all. At a glance, everybody sees the stadium and the facilities there. Everybody says it's good but when you work in an environment day-to-day, there are always things you can improve.
“We have a good relationship with Oriam. That's obviously at a stage where we want it to be longer-term. I think Oriam want it to be longer-term but the deal needs to a good partnership for everybody involved. This shows the commitment from both sides. There are improvements being made for the short-term, but there is also the medium-term and long-term that we all want to get because 90 per cent of a footballer's working environment is the training facility.”