Steven Naismith believes winless Hearts can get first victory at Celtic Park

Steven Naismith believes that his Hearts side can get their first win of the season when they visit the home of the champions this weekend.

The Tynecastle club have lost six and drawn one of their seven games across all competitions so far this season.

On Saturday they travel to Glasgow to take on a Celtic side who have won every game they have played so far and sit top of the Premiership.

But Naismith insists last season’s results against Brendan Rodgers’ men can give his side optimism that they can pull of a similar result.

Hearts beat Celtic twice last campaign, once in Gorgie and once in Parkhead, and the manager is aiming for a similar result this weekend to get their stuttering season back on track.

Speaking on Friday, as Hearts prepare for a return to Premiership action following a two-week international break, Naismith said: “I just hope we can win, in the short-term we just need to win a game, we need to get off the mark and get ourselves moving.

“It’s going to be the toughest game we have had all season, Celtic have recruited well, and they’ve started well, and they have players who were signed last year who are now looking comfortable and have contributed.

“So it will be a tough game, but it’s one that I do feel we can get a result in. We did show that last year and it was similar in that no one gave us a chance and we put on a good performance.

“We will need that again, we will need to defend like we did last season, and we need to have a threat.

“Against the top teams you can’t just defend for 95 minutes and hope to get a goal, we are going to need to be good in possession as well as out.

“I think in most of the games against the Old Firm sides, we have, in general, carried a threat, we’ve been good enough on the ball to create chances.

“The game we won (at Celtic Park) the goals came from a corner and a free-kick, but the play before that was really good and really brave, and we will need that again tomorrow.”

Hearts announced earlier on Friday that Australia international midfielder Cammy Devlin had signed a new contract at the club until 2026.

Naismith said: “I’m really happy that Cammy has committed himself to the club.

“Cammy’s story should be an inspiring one to younger players; a guy who came halfway across the world, established himself as a top player in a completely new environment, gained international recognition and went to a World Cup.

“He gives his all in training and in matches, and has a real desire to improve himself and the team.

“His character is second to none and I’m delighted that he will continue to be part of this side for the next two years.

“He’s a player that has come in and we’ve asked him to do different things and looked to improve him, which I think we have done.

“He is at a good age and is an infectious character, and, like a few others, you want to try and keep a core group of players that understand the club and can contribute and I think he is someone that can definitely do that.”

Devlin says that he never had any doubts about signing on at the club for another two years.

He said: “The talks started over the summer but these things take time.

“You’ve just got to talk and then at the same time I was kind of saying ‘I just want to focus on winning a game of football’. But it’s done now and there was no doubt in my mind.

“I’ll work as hard as I possibly can and that will take me wherever in football, but I’m in a very fortunate position to be sitting here today.”