Season › 2013-14 › News Hard work paying off for Naismith Lyndon Lloyd , 8 May, 0comments | Jump to most recent Steven Naismith says that staying strong and believing in himself is what lies behind a successful second season with Everton in which he is a goal shy of reaching double figures for goals in all competitions. The Scot arrived on a free transfer from Rangers in 2012 but, often deployed wide on the right of midfield, he struggled to find a consistent place in the Blues' first team under David Moyes. This term, however, Naismith has enjoyed a new lease on life playing his favoured central role and has weighed in with some crucial goals, not least the winner against Chelsea in September which, as Roberto Martinez's first win as Everton manager, is regarded as the catalyst for the team's impressive season. "At every club I've been, I've had doubters and had to deal with that," the 27 year-old says. "You have to get your head down and work hard, and I'm glad that over time I have started to change some people's minds. "There were certainly doubts about me when I first came here, I have had to come through that. And I admit that last season I probably didn't show anywhere near what I am capable of. "I knew I was good enough and I knew I could bring something to the squad, so I just had to stay strong and keep believing in myself." With Everton effectively guaranteed to finish in fifth place in the Premier League and will go straight into the Europa League group stages should Arsenal and not Hull City win the FA Cup later this month, Naismith can now look forward to a European campaign with the Blues. Though it won't be the Champions League that everyone craved, the Irvine-born forward sees the Europe as a real opportunity for the club to evolve and for the team to improve. And there is always the incentive that the winner of the Europa League will qualify for the Champions League in 2015-16. "Europe definitely gives us a chance to keep progressing," Naismith continues. "If you are not involved in it, you end up sitting there watching, so it's much better to be a part of it and have a chance of winning a trophy. "I'm sure we'll work on that and strengthen the squad in the summer. We have got to grips with the fundamentals of what the manager wants us to do and we have to refine that." Quotes sourced from Soccerway About these ads © ToffeeWeb