Speculation emerged on Tuesday that the experienced midfielder had left the club following the departure of Robbie Neilson. Naismith provided clarity in his first interview with HeartsTV since taking on the role, admitting his former Scotland team-mate would “probably not” get many minutes between now and the end of the season.

Snodgrass was sent off in Hearts’ 2-0 loss to St Mirren at Tynecastle Park on Saturday. The Gorgie club won the race for his signature in September and while he was unavailable in Europe, the 35-year-old became a vital part of the team. He would go on to start 23 matches with a further two appearances off the bench. He is expected to return to England where his family still live.

"I had a conversation with Snoddy," Naismith said. “I have a good relationship with Snoddy as a player and a teammate. The decision’s been made that he’s probably not going to get many minutes. I’ve experienced that myself as a player and we had a talk about it.

"Snoddy’s family are still down south and the best outcome for everybody would be that he gets time to spend with his family and I focus on a group that’s going to go forward."

Naismith will lead Hearts for the first time on Saturday when they face city rivals at Easter Road in the penultimate fixture before the split. The team currently trail Aberdeen by two points in the race for third.

Hearts interim boss Steven Naismith in Robert Snodgrass 'best outcome' admission as decision taken over future

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