Norwich City: Steven Naismith determined to stay and impress new boss Daniel Farke
- Published
Steven Naismith is aiming to impress new Norwich City head coach Daniel Farke and has no plans to leave Carrow Road before the end of his contract.
The Scotland striker does envisage a return to the domestic scene in his homeland - but not in the near future.
Naismith was not an automatic first choice after Norwich dropped down to the Championship in England.
"They changed the manager and, looking forward, it's going to be really exciting," said the 30-year-old.
Naismith moved to Carrow Road from Everton in January 2016, but he was unable to help prevent Alex Neil's Canaries being relegated and fell out of favour under his fellow Scot.
After Neil was sacked in March, the striker was a more regular starter as Norwich ended the season with another Scotsman, Alan Irvine, in interim charge.
Naismith realises more game-time will again be his goal under former Borussia Dortmund reserve-team coach Farke.
"That's a factor," he said. "As you get older, it's all about routine and playing, so that's when you do need to think about playing more.
"I've got two years left of my contract there, I still think I can contribute massively and help the club get to where they want to be, and we'll see how it goes in pre-season."
Naismith has worked under a number of managers in his career and hopes Farke will have a similar impact on him as Roberto Martinez did at Everton.
"You've got a new manager, a German, so it's something new for me," he said. "I'm hoping to learn lots from him.
"Growing up, I had a lot of British-based managers who gave me my fundamental learning skills for what I've got and the type of player I am.
"I had Martinez - that was the total opposite - and he gave me a whole new dimension on how to play the game.
"I loved that and now, hopefully with the new manager, I'll learn much more.
"The club has had a shake-up and no player at the club is safe - and that's probably a good situation for the club in terms of moving forward."
Farke has already added Marley Watkins, the former Inverness Caledonian Thistle winger, from Barnsley to his forward options, but Naismith has no thoughts of being squeezed out at Carrow Road.
"I signed expecting to see out my contract and that's what I think I'll be doing," said the Scot, who scored seven times in 32 appearances in the 2016-17 season.
"I'll go down for pre-season. Obviously, when any new manager comes in, that can change if you're not in his plans.
"I'm going back to work as hard as I can, show my worth and hopefully he accepts me and wants me to be a big part of his squad."
Naismith's former club, Rangers, are embarking on a reshaping of their squad under new manager Pedro Caixinha, but Naismith does not see himself returning to Scotland just yet.
"I think I will come back to Scotland at some point to play, to finish off hopefully, and I'll assess my options when that day comes, but I don't like to think too far in front," he added.