Sneering Steven Naismith has explained his actions in screaming at Jonny Hayes as the Celtic winger lay injured at Tynecastle.
The Hearts forward was making his debut on Radio Scotland’s Sportsound programme that regularly draws on the opinions of Alex Rae (EBT), Barry Ferguson (EBT), Kris Boyd (EBT), Derek Ferguson and Billy Dodds (EBT).
In the second SPFL match of the season Naismith was running about like a man possessed knowing that there was virtually no chance of being punished by John Beaton.
Late in the first half of the Hearts v Celtic match Hayes and Naismith clashed with the Hearts star kicking out twice at the grounded winger then screaming at him from six inches away.
Hearts’ Steven Naismith ‘could be cited by SFA over Jonny Hayes incident’ – https://t.co/I1zpKnz4Tu #CelticFC #COYBIG #bhoys pic.twitter.com/3HGqYlVIjP
— CelticFC News (@BhoysNews1888) August 13, 2018
Good debut from Hearts & Scotland international Steven Naismith.
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— Douglas McNeil (@DouglasMcNeil) August 22, 2018
Explaining his actions to the state broadcaster Naisy said: “I had the red mist. It was a tackle that came in that was pretty similar to when I had my first knee injury.
“That was what was going through my head and I was totally wrong in my reaction. It was the heat of the moment.
“Even after it, I was saying to Jonny Hayes during the game, ‘Look, are you alright? Sorry about that’.
“I didn’t realise he was that injured at the time. It was more a reaction to getting scythed down.”
No one at the BBC asked Naismith about kicking out at Hayes, later in the show he explained last season’s assault on Scott Brown as a slip.
In 2012 the former Rangers favourite walked away from Ibrox when the club went into liquidation, refusing to TUPE his contract over like Lee Wallace and Lee McCulloch.
