Steven Naismith has been sacked by Heart of Midlothian.

His assistants, Gordon Forrest and Frankie McAvoy, have also departed the club. 

The former Hearts, Rangers and Kilmarnock striker becomes the second Scottish Premiership casualty of the season, following the departure of Craig Levein from St Johnstone earlier this week.

Yesterday's 2-1 defeat in Paisley at the hands of top-six rivals St Mirren was enough for the Hearts board to act, with the club currently bottom of the table after six league games.

CEO Andrew McKinlay said in a club statement: “I’d like to firstly thank Steven, Gordon and Frankie for all their efforts over the past year and a half. They worked tirelessly in their roles and without them we would not have enjoyed the successes of last season.

“However, things can change quickly, particularly in football, and it has been clear for all to see that things are not working this season. Results and performances have fallen below the standards expected at this football club and, unfortunately, there is little evidence of any potential upturn in fortunes.

“With our UEFA Conference League campaign about to commence, and the spotlight on our league position, we cannot afford to stand still. That is why we, as a Board of Directors, have made the difficult decision to part ways with the management team, who go with our thanks and best wishes.

“We will update supporters shortly about next steps in both the short and long term but for now, the club shall be making no further comment at this time.”

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The news comes amid the backdrop of Tony Bloom's imminent investment into the Gorgie club.

Brighton's owner is believed to be on the verge of sealing a deal to inject £10m into the Edinburgh giants.

Hearts will then have access to his analytics company, Starlizard, to help recruit players in the transfer market - something that's proven to be key to Brighton's success in the Premier League.

Bloom also has a minority stake in Belgian Pro-League side Union Saint-Gilloise.