Steven Naismith believes Stephen Kingsley can still earn more Scotland caps even though the on-form defender did not get the nod to join three of his Hearts team-mates in the latest squad.

Free-scoring captain Lawrence Shankland plus goalkeepers Zander Clark and Craig Gordon were included in Steve Clarke’s 25-man pool for the national team’s pre-European Championship friendly double-header against Netherlands and Northern Ireland later this month.

Kingsley, who won the last of his two caps against Ukraine in September 2022, was also understood to have been in the thoughts of the Scotland boss after returning to his best form at Tynecastle this term.

However, the prospects of the 29-year-old former Swansea and Hull defender – who can play at centre-back or left-back – going to Germany this summer appear slim after he did not make the squad announced earlier this week, with Kieran Tierney, Andy Robertson, Liam Cooper and Scott McKenna the left-sided options preferred by Clarke.

“The fact he’s being talked about as being part of the national set-up, he can be proud of that,” said Hearts boss Naismith.

“You never know what can happen. He’s been in the set-up not so long ago after a long period out, and that’s what he’ll strive for.

“The whole Scotland squad has gone up a few notches so he can take credit from making the last squad he did (in 2022) because the competition at that point was really good.

“Yes, there’s a lot of left-sided players but that versatility Stephen’s got probably puts him in a slightly different bracket. It will be hard work for him to make the Euros squad but he will never give up.

Despite his international omission, Naismith has been hugely impressed with the way Kingsley has asserted himself as one of Hearts’ key men since arriving in 2020 after injuries derailed his career down south following his first Scotland cap in 2016.

“I’d argue he’s in the running for our club player of the year,” said Naismith. “He’s consistent, he’s the ultimate professional and he’s somebody who has had to work really hard in the last five years because of the injuries he’s come through.

“I played with him in the national set-up and to go from how promising that part of his career was to then have such a long period out, your career will go one way or the other so he’s worked really hard to maximise himself.

“He probably came to Hearts at a time when he could have been at a higher level but his (injury) history counted against him. He’s come in here and the fit has been brilliant.

“He’s a leader, he’s versatile and he’s got real quality. I think he’s been one of our best players this season.

“The biggest thing for him is that he’s enjoying everything at the moment, he’s enjoying his football and where he sits within the squad. He’s a big help for me personally.”

Brendan Rodgers felt compelled to apologise to the Celtic fans for the first time after a performance as he admitted his side lacked desire in a 2-0 home defeat by Hearts.

A free header from Lawrence Shankland and Stephen Kingsley’s 25-yard free-kick put Hearts two ahead inside 30 minutes and there was little sign of a Celtic comeback as they fell to consecutive league defeats for the first time in a decade.

“Our desire and the mentality right from the off was nowhere near the level of a Celtic team,” Rodgers said. “Very passive, and lacked fluidity.

“The game started a little bit slow, but our ability to keep the ball in the final third and create wasn’t quite there.

“Then, we got outdone very naively from a corner. The second goal was a fantastic free-kick, but, when you look at the build-up and what led to the free-kick, it was so passive it was frightening.

“It is a real, real sore one. For the first time I have been here, over my two periods, I would have to apologise to the supporters – because that level is nowhere near the standard of performances required at Celtic. Nowhere near it.

“That lack of consistency and mentality and desire, it is way, way off what this club demands. You’re sat there in mid-December with 60,000 in and that’s how you perform. It is not acceptable.”

Only two weeks ago Rodgers claimed he had never been angrier as a manager following a similar first-half performance against St Johnstone. They fought back to win in Perth but have now lost to Kilmarnock and Hearts and potentially lost their advantage in the title race – Rangers are five points behind but have two games in hand.

The Celtic manager absolved the “brilliant” Callum McGregor from blame along with Liam Scales and Matt O’Riley and added: “I can’t say I am surprised. I have seen performance level (dip) and (am) having to activate. When you are having to do that all the time then that is a worry.

“You can’t keep having to go into expletives, you need to find the solution and the ambition as a player to come into these games after a midweek game, after a good performance in the Champions League, you need to come into the game and produce the level.

“It always starts for me against the ball and when it’s so passive and you are not aggressive enough, that for me is always your desire and how much you want to win the game.

“Sadly for us that then goes on to the side when you have the ball and it just wasn’t good enough.”

Hearts ended a 14-game losing run at Celtic Park and secured their first win at the stadium since 2009.

Manager Steven Naismith felt his side’s composure was the key factor.

“The biggest aspect is when you win the ball,” he said. “You need to cause them problems, and I think we did that. Our composure on the ball leads to us getting the corner, it leads to us getting the free-kick that get us the goals.

“That’s not just luck for Shanks at the back post, it’s having a calmness in these big moments.

“Or whether it’s our defenders deciding they can see pass and they make the pass.

“I don’t think there’s a better team in Scotland that press than Celtic, they are really aggressive, they are really tough.

“And we played through it at times, we were good enough to do it, and that’s massively important when you are playing against the Old Firm.”

Stephen Kingsley claims he was confident VAR would save him from the red card he was initially handed in Hearts’ 3-1 Viaplay Cup semi-final defeat by Rangers at Hampden Park.

The Light Blues were leading through a James Tavernier double, one from the spot, and a Scott Wright drive when referee Nick Walsh introduced another layer of drama to the occasion.

With around 10 minutes remaining Walsh showed already-booked Kingsley a second yellow and a red card for diving inside the Rangers box.

However, VAR intervened and after checking his pitch side monitor, Walsh deemed Gers substitute Ben Davies had tripped Kingsley and rescinded the second yellow and pointed to the spot, with Lawrence Shankland slotting in the penalty.

Kingsley said: “I got in front of my man and as soon as I got the touch on the ball I felt the contact on my left ankle so I knew it was a penalty.

“When he gave the second yellow I was very confident, I knew it was a penalty.

“I was hoping that VAR would do its job and thankfully it did.

“Nick Walsh said at the end of the game that he was glad that the right decision was arrived at and I said that’s what it’s there for.

“But right now we are disappointed with the result.”