Steven Naismith vows to give Hearts outcast one last chance to prove he has future at Tynecastle
Steven Naismith has refused to write off Kyosuke Tagawa and says the Japanese striker will be given one last chance to prove he has a future at Hearts.
The Jambos shelled out a six-figure fee to sign Tagawa from FC Tokyo last summer but the Japan international has struggled to make an impact at Tynecastle. Tagawa, 25, has scored just once in 19 appearances for Naismith's side, starting just four times.
But the Gorgie boss says his big-money signing will be given a clean slate in pre-season to show he has what it takes to make the grade at Hearts. He said: "For Kyosuke, this season was always going to be difficult with the physicality and speed of the game here.
"In some games he has shown up well, but he has been kept out of the team. Lawrence Shankland has shown so much good form. There are wee moments which haven't fallen for Tagawa. The ball has hit the post or just gone wide, he hasn't had that rub of the green.
"He maybe needed one to just go in off his shin to set him off, and then he could keep going. That hasn't happened, but he has qualities so we will see how pre-season plays out for Kyosuke."