Gary Naysmith
Encyclopedia
Gary Andrew Naysmith is a Scottish footballer, currently playing for Huddersfield Town
in League One
and has been capped for the Scotland national team
46 times. He is a left back who can also play on the left wing.
Naysmith started his senior career with Hearts
before moving to England
to sign with Premier League side Everton
, where he stayed for seven years before signing with Sheffield United
.
, Naysmith started his senior career with Hearts
, whom he joined from local side Whitehill
's Colts team. He made his professional debut, aged only 17, several months later in a League Cup
tie with Celtic
. His opportunity arose from a suspension crisis, the Maroons having no less than four defenders (Bruno
, Weir, Ritchie and Pointon
) sent off in their previous match at Rangers
. Despite the patchwork nature of their defence, Hearts defeated Celtic 1–0, with Naysmith earning plaudits for his mature display. Within a year he had established himself as the side's first-choice left back, displacing Neil Pointon, and in 1998 helped the Tynecastle club end their 36-year trophy drought by lifting the Scottish Cup
. That season he was also named Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year
.
A transitional season followed as the loss of Weir, McCann
(both transferred) and Colin Cameron (injured) destabilised the side. Naysmith himself had to adapt to a change in the levels of expectation placed upon him, no longer allowed the defence of youthful naïveté. By 1999–2000
though he had rediscovered his confidence and was being touted for an international call-up. A particular highlight of that season was his display in a 3–2 defeat of Celtic at Parkhead
in February 2000. Hearts had trailed 2–0 before battling back to victory, with Naysmith striking a spectacular equalising goal.
As one of Hearts most valuable assets, Naysmith was also the subject of transfer speculation. Financial concerns at the club heightened these and in October 2000 it appeared that Naysmith was bound for the West Midlands
when Coventry City
bid for him. However, their offer was bettered by Everton
at the eleventh hour, and Naysmith moved to Merseyside instead, in a £1.7 million deal.
and then remained under his successor David Moyes
. His mesmerising early performances cemented his place in Evertonians' hearts, who gave him the nickname "El Blanco Carlos", after the Brazilian left-back Roberto Carlos. He made 152 appearances for Everton, scoring six goals, although his Toffees career was disrupted by injury. In December 2002 he was the victim of a "blood curdling, x-rated" tackle by Liverpool's Steven Gerrard
. A long term ankle injury in 2005 meant that Naysmith lost his first-team place at Everton to Alessandro Pistone
in the 2004–05
season, and in the 2005–06
season Portuguese
international Nuno Valente claimed the left back slot at Goodison Park.
Naysmith recovered from ankle surgery in time for the start of the 2006–07
season and an injury to Valente in the season's opening game saw him restored to the starting eleven. He kept his place after Valente returned to fitness, however it was not long before injury befell him again, a medial ligament
strain in the game against Newcastle United
on 24 September 2006 keeping him out for two months.
At the end of the 2004–05 season, he signed a new three-year contract with the Blues. Naysmith was widely rumoured to be a target for Scottish champions Celtic and German club VfB Stuttgart
in summer 2006. However, David Moyes denied any interest from Celtic and he remained at Everton.
On 5 May 2007, Naysmith scored the third goal in a 3–0 victory over Portsmouth
The win practically guaranteed that Everton would be playing in Europe during the 2007–08 season. Naysmith made over 130 Premier League appearances for the Toffees before leaving the club to join Championship
side Sheffield United for £1 million in July 2007 as part of an exchange deal with Phil Jagielka
.
to Goodison Park
, Naysmith was given permission to speak to Sheffield United
to discuss a possible move. He was signed by The Blades and agreed a three-year deal at Bramall Lane
, thus ending a six-and-half-year stay with Everton
.
Naysmith made his first team début in the opening game of the 2007–08 season in a 2–2 home draw with Colchester United
and quickly cemented his place in the side becoming the first choice at left back throughout the rest of the season. Naysmith started 42 games in his first season, 38 of them in the league.
Naysmith started the 2008–09 season as first choice left back, playing 43 games until he suffered serious cruciate ligament damage which ruled him out for the final weeks of the season, thus missing the club's unsuccessful play-off campaign. He made his first start of the season on the opening day in United's 1–0 loss at Birmingham City
. Naysmith started 37 league games and made a further two appearances from the bench.
Due to an injury suffered towards the end of the 2008–09 season, Naysmith missed the majority of the 2009–10 season. He returned to the side in December 2009 and was listed as an unused substitute three times before making a successful return to the side for the last two games of the season, the first in The Blades 2–0 win over Swansea City
, the second in their final day 3–0 win over Ipswich Town
.
on 4 June 2010 on a free transfer. Naysmith revealed that he turned down offers from Premier League clubs were he would have had the chance to be a squad player to move to the Galpharm Stadium.
He made his Terriers debut in the 3–0 win over Notts County
at Meadow Lane
on 7 August 2010. He was sent off in his home debut for the Terriers against Tranmere Rovers
on 14 August, where the match ended 0–0. He then suffered a toe injury in a League Cup
second round 5–1 away loss at former club Everton
on 25 August 2010, causing him to miss the next five months of the season, making his return in a 2–0 home win over Carlisle United
in the league.
at international level playing for the Scotland Under 21's
, Scotland B
and at full international level. Naysmith made his full Scotland debut in May 2000, in a 2–1 victory over the Republic of Ireland
in Dublin. He had won 32 caps by January 2007.
His only international goal came in 2002, during a Euro 2004
qualifying game with Iceland
. Naysmith scored Scotland's second goal in a 2-0 win, with a right-footed volley from the edge of the penalty area
.
Naysmith was a regular for Scotland in their 2002 FIFA World Cup
qualification campaign with his second cap coming in Scotland's 1–0 away win over Latvia
on 2 September 2000, coming on as a 46th minute substitute for David Weir. He made his second start for the national team in a 2–0 win away over San Marino
7 October 2000. He then became first choice left back for Scotland's two games against Croatia
in the 0–0 home game and the score draw away leg in Zagreb
. He was also left back in their 2–0 defat in Belgium on 5 September 2001.
In 2006, he was part of the Scotland side that took part in the 2006 edition of the Kirin Cup
in Japan. He played in both Scotland's 5–1 win over Bulgaria and the 0–0 draw with the hosts Japan
as Scotland finished first.
Naysmith has also represented Scotland B level having been caped once by the second string. He gained his only cap for the Scotland B in their 2–1 home win over the Northern Ireland B
on the 20 May 2003.
|1995–96||rowspan="6"|Heart of Midlothian
||rowspan="6"|Scottish Premier League
||1||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0
|-
|1996–97||10||0||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||11||0
|-
|1997–98||16||2||5||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||21||2
|-
|1998–99||26||0||1||0||2||0||3||0||32||0
|-
|1999–2000||35||1||3||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||40||1
|-
|2000–01||9||0||0||0||1||1||4||0||14||1
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="7"|Everton
||rowspan="7"|Premier League||20||2||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||21||2
|-
|2001–02||24||0||4||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||28||0
|-
|2002–03||28||1||1||0||3||1||colspan="2"|-||32||2
|-
|2003–04||29||2||3||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||34||2
|-
|2004–05||11||0||3||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||15||0
|-
|2005–06||7||0||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||8||0
|-
|2006–07||15||1||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||17||1
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="3"|Sheffield United
||rowspan="3"|Championship
||38||0||3||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||43||0
|-
|2008–09||39||0||3||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||43||0
|-
|2009–10||2||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||2||0
|-
|2010–11||rowspan="2"|Huddersfield Town
||rowspan="2"|League One
||17||0||0||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||19||0
|-
|2011–12||6||0||0||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||9||0
97||3||10||0||5||1||7||0||119||4
249||6||20||0||14||1||colspan="2"|-||283||7
348||9||30||0||19||2||7||0||402||11
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
in League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
and has been capped for the Scotland national team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
46 times. He is a left back who can also play on the left wing.
Naysmith started his senior career with Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
before moving to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to sign with Premier League side Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, where he stayed for seven years before signing with Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
.
Hearts
Raised in LoanheadLoanhead
Loanhead is a small town in Midlothian, Scotland, to the south of Edinburgh, and close to Roslin, Bonnyrigg and Dalkeith. The town was built on coal and shale mining, and the paper industry.-History:...
, Naysmith started his senior career with Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
, whom he joined from local side Whitehill
Whitehill Welfare F.C.
Whitehill Welfare F.C. are a football club currently playing in the East of Scotland Football League. Founded in 1953, they play their home matches at Ferguson Park in the village of Rosewell....
's Colts team. He made his professional debut, aged only 17, several months later in a League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
tie with Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. His opportunity arose from a suspension crisis, the Maroons having no less than four defenders (Bruno
Pasquale Bruno
Pasquale Bruno is a former Italian footballer who played as a defender for a number of clubs in his homeland, Heart of Midlothian, in Scotland and, Wigan Athletic, in England...
, Weir, Ritchie and Pointon
Neil Pointon
Neil Geoffrey Pointon, born November 28, 1964 in Church Warsop, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England, is a former professional football player...
) sent off in their previous match at Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. Despite the patchwork nature of their defence, Hearts defeated Celtic 1–0, with Naysmith earning plaudits for his mature display. Within a year he had established himself as the side's first-choice left back, displacing Neil Pointon, and in 1998 helped the Tynecastle club end their 36-year trophy drought by lifting the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
. That season he was also named Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year
Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year
The Scottish PFA Young Player of the Year is named at the end of every Scottish football season. The members of the Professional Footballers' Association vote on which of its young members played the best football in the previous year. The award was first given in 1978.- List of winners :-Winners...
.
A transitional season followed as the loss of Weir, McCann
Neil McCann
Neil Docherty McCann is a Scottish professional footballer who is currently playing for Partick Thistle-Club career:...
(both transferred) and Colin Cameron (injured) destabilised the side. Naysmith himself had to adapt to a change in the levels of expectation placed upon him, no longer allowed the defence of youthful naïveté. By 1999–2000
1999-00 in Scottish football
The 1999–2000 season was the 103rd season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish Premier League:-Scottish First Division:-Scottish Second Division:...
though he had rediscovered his confidence and was being touted for an international call-up. A particular highlight of that season was his display in a 3–2 defeat of Celtic at Parkhead
Celtic Park
Celtic Park is a football stadium in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which is the home ground of Celtic FC. Celtic Park, an all-seater stadium with a capacity of 60,832, is the largest football stadium in Scotland and the sixth-largest stadium in the United Kingdom, after Murrayfield, Old Trafford,...
in February 2000. Hearts had trailed 2–0 before battling back to victory, with Naysmith striking a spectacular equalising goal.
As one of Hearts most valuable assets, Naysmith was also the subject of transfer speculation. Financial concerns at the club heightened these and in October 2000 it appeared that Naysmith was bound for the West Midlands
West Midlands (region)
The West Midlands is an official region of England, covering the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. It contains the second most populous British city, Birmingham, and the larger West Midlands conurbation, which includes the city of Wolverhampton and large towns of Dudley,...
when Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
bid for him. However, their offer was bettered by Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
at the eleventh hour, and Naysmith moved to Merseyside instead, in a £1.7 million deal.
Everton
Naysmith first became a regular under Walter SmithWalter Smith
Walter Smith, OBE is a Scottish football manager. His most recent job was at Scottish Premier League club Rangers.Smith had a relatively modest playing career, consisting of two spells with Dundee United which was split by a short time at Dumbarton.A pelvic injury meant he moved in to coaching at...
and then remained under his successor David Moyes
David Moyes
David William Moyes is an association football manager and former player, currently managing English Premier League club Everton. He was the 2003, 2005 and 2009 League Managers Association Manager of the Year...
. His mesmerising early performances cemented his place in Evertonians' hearts, who gave him the nickname "El Blanco Carlos", after the Brazilian left-back Roberto Carlos. He made 152 appearances for Everton, scoring six goals, although his Toffees career was disrupted by injury. In December 2002 he was the victim of a "blood curdling, x-rated" tackle by Liverpool's Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
. A long term ankle injury in 2005 meant that Naysmith lost his first-team place at Everton to Alessandro Pistone
Alessandro Pistone
Alessandro Pistone is a former Italian footballer.-Early career:Pistone started his career at Solbiatese and Crevalcore, two small Italian teams who in recent years have slid to the lowest tier of professional Italian football, before moving to Vicenza for the duration of the 1995–96 season...
in the 2004–05
2004-05 in English football
The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
season, and in the 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
international Nuno Valente claimed the left back slot at Goodison Park.
Naysmith recovered from ankle surgery in time for the start of the 2006–07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season and an injury to Valente in the season's opening game saw him restored to the starting eleven. He kept his place after Valente returned to fitness, however it was not long before injury befell him again, a medial ligament
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
strain in the game against Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
on 24 September 2006 keeping him out for two months.
At the end of the 2004–05 season, he signed a new three-year contract with the Blues. Naysmith was widely rumoured to be a target for Scottish champions Celtic and German club VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
in summer 2006. However, David Moyes denied any interest from Celtic and he remained at Everton.
On 5 May 2007, Naysmith scored the third goal in a 3–0 victory over Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
The win practically guaranteed that Everton would be playing in Europe during the 2007–08 season. Naysmith made over 130 Premier League appearances for the Toffees before leaving the club to join Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
side Sheffield United for £1 million in July 2007 as part of an exchange deal with Phil Jagielka
Phil Jagielka
Philip Nikodem "Phil" Jagielka is an English international footballer who plays for Everton in the Premier League. He played regularly in central midfield for his previous club Sheffield United, but generally plays in central defence for Everton...
.
Sheffield United
As part of the deal that took Phil JagielkaPhil Jagielka
Philip Nikodem "Phil" Jagielka is an English international footballer who plays for Everton in the Premier League. He played regularly in central midfield for his previous club Sheffield United, but generally plays in central defence for Everton...
to Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
, Naysmith was given permission to speak to Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
to discuss a possible move. He was signed by The Blades and agreed a three-year deal at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
, thus ending a six-and-half-year stay with Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
.
Naysmith made his first team début in the opening game of the 2007–08 season in a 2–2 home draw with Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
and quickly cemented his place in the side becoming the first choice at left back throughout the rest of the season. Naysmith started 42 games in his first season, 38 of them in the league.
Naysmith started the 2008–09 season as first choice left back, playing 43 games until he suffered serious cruciate ligament damage which ruled him out for the final weeks of the season, thus missing the club's unsuccessful play-off campaign. He made his first start of the season on the opening day in United's 1–0 loss at Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
. Naysmith started 37 league games and made a further two appearances from the bench.
Due to an injury suffered towards the end of the 2008–09 season, Naysmith missed the majority of the 2009–10 season. He returned to the side in December 2009 and was listed as an unused substitute three times before making a successful return to the side for the last two games of the season, the first in The Blades 2–0 win over Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
, the second in their final day 3–0 win over Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
.
Huddersfield Town
Naysmith rejected a new deal at Bramall Lane, opting to sign a two-year deal with Yorkshire neighbours Huddersfield TownHuddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
on 4 June 2010 on a free transfer. Naysmith revealed that he turned down offers from Premier League clubs were he would have had the chance to be a squad player to move to the Galpharm Stadium.
He made his Terriers debut in the 3–0 win over Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
at Meadow Lane
Meadow Lane
Not to be confused with The Meadow, home of Southern Football League Premier Division football team Chesham UnitedThe Meadow Lane Stadium is a football stadium in Nottingham, England...
on 7 August 2010. He was sent off in his home debut for the Terriers against Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
on 14 August, where the match ended 0–0. He then suffered a toe injury in a League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
second round 5–1 away loss at former club Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
on 25 August 2010, causing him to miss the next five months of the season, making his return in a 2–0 home win over Carlisle United
Carlisle United F.C.
Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system....
in the league.
International career
Naysmith has represented ScotlandScotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
at international level playing for the Scotland Under 21's
Scotland national under-21 football team
The Scotland national under-21 football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is Scotland's national under 21 football team and is considered to be a feeder team for the Scotland national football team....
, Scotland B
Scotland B national football team
The Scotland B national football team, controlled by the Scottish Football Association, is a secondary football team of Scotland, run occasionally as support for the Scotland national football team as a second string side to the first team....
and at full international level. Naysmith made his full Scotland debut in May 2000, in a 2–1 victory over the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
in Dublin. He had won 32 caps by January 2007.
His only international goal came in 2002, during a Euro 2004
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
qualifying game with Iceland
Iceland national football team
The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
. Naysmith scored Scotland's second goal in a 2-0 win, with a right-footed volley from the edge of the penalty area
Penalty area
The penalty area , is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends to each side of the goal and in front of it. Within the penalty area is the penalty spot , which is from the goal line, directly in-line with the centre of the goal...
.
Naysmith was a regular for Scotland in their 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
qualification campaign with his second cap coming in Scotland's 1–0 away win over Latvia
Latvia national football team
The Latvian national football team is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Latvia and represents the country in international football competitions, such as the World Cup and the European Championships. So far, they have never qualified for a FIFA World...
on 2 September 2000, coming on as a 46th minute substitute for David Weir. He made his second start for the national team in a 2–0 win away over San Marino
San Marino national football team
The San Marino national football team is the national football team of San Marino, controlled by the San Marino Football Federation...
7 October 2000. He then became first choice left back for Scotland's two games against Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
in the 0–0 home game and the score draw away leg in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
. He was also left back in their 2–0 defat in Belgium on 5 September 2001.
In 2006, he was part of the Scotland side that took part in the 2006 edition of the Kirin Cup
Kirin Cup
The Kirin Cup is an annual association football tournament sponsored in Japan by the Kirin Brewery Company. The host, Japan, is a participant in every edition. The tournament was founded in 1978 as an international club competition. From 1992 onwards the format was changed to a round robin national...
in Japan. He played in both Scotland's 5–1 win over Bulgaria and the 0–0 draw with the hosts Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
as Scotland finished first.
Naysmith has also represented Scotland B level having been caped once by the second string. He gained his only cap for the Scotland B in their 2–1 home win over the Northern Ireland B
Northern Ireland B national football team
Northern Ireland B is a secondary football team run occasionally as support for the Northern Ireland national football team. Primarily seen as a stepping-stone between the Under-21 and Full international teams, the matches are also used to give a run-out for fringe players and to honour Irish...
on the 20 May 2003.
International goals
- Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 12 October 2002 Reykjavík ReykjavíkReykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
2–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying 2004 UEFA European Football ChampionshipThe 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in...
Club Statistics
|-|1995–96||rowspan="6"|Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
||rowspan="6"|Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||1||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||1||0
|-
|1996–97||10||0||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||11||0
|-
|1997–98||16||2||5||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||21||2
|-
|1998–99||26||0||1||0||2||0||3||0||32||0
|-
|1999–2000||35||1||3||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||40||1
|-
|2000–01||9||0||0||0||1||1||4||0||14||1
|-
|2000–01||rowspan="7"|Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
||rowspan="7"|Premier League||20||2||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||21||2
|-
|2001–02||24||0||4||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||28||0
|-
|2002–03||28||1||1||0||3||1||colspan="2"|-||32||2
|-
|2003–04||29||2||3||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||34||2
|-
|2004–05||11||0||3||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||15||0
|-
|2005–06||7||0||1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||8||0
|-
|2006–07||15||1||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||17||1
|-
|2007–08||rowspan="3"|Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
||rowspan="3"|Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||38||0||3||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||43||0
|-
|2008–09||39||0||3||0||1||0||colspan="2"|-||43||0
|-
|2009–10||2||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|-||2||0
|-
|2010–11||rowspan="2"|Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
||rowspan="2"|League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
||17||0||0||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||19||0
|-
|2011–12||6||0||0||0||2||0||colspan="2"|-||9||0
97||3||10||0||5||1||7||0||119||4
249||6||20||0||14||1||colspan="2"|-||283||7
348||9||30||0||19||2||7||0||402||11
External links
- Gary Naysmith player profile at sufc.co.uk