Nearly five years ago Lawrence Shankland and Steven Naismith were team-mates. The latter was approaching the end of his career while the former was seeing his begin to take off.

Having missed out on the European qualifiers in October 2019, Naismith, playing for Hearts of Midlothian, was back the following month, leading the line for Steve Clarke and Scotland, wearing the captain's armband. Shankland, having scored his first-ever goal for his country in his previous outing in a 6-0 rout of San Marino, was an unused substitute as the national team won 2-1 in Cyprus.

At that moment in time, as Hearts headed towards demotion from the Premiership, Shankland was firing Robbie Neilson's Dundee United to the Championship title. 

Hearts head coach Naismith remembers his captain back then as "just a finisher". He was on his way to scoring 28 goals for his club off the back of 63 in two seasons with Ayr United.

READ MORE: Steven Naismith Q&A: Hearts matching Old Firm, next step, stopping Rangers

Speak to Naismith now and he talks as highly of Shankland's leadership off the pitch or qualities as "an all-round centre-forward" as he does his innate goal-scoring talent.

"He's got real intelligence, a great touch, can score and his hold-up play is good," he said. "He's definitely progressed into an all-round forward."

It is something that has grown over each season. From his time in the Premiership with United to his experience in Belgium to returning to Scotland with Hearts and his two seasons at Tynecastle Park. All fans will recognise the player has taken another step forward in this campaign. In front of goal and in-game involvement.

It is no coincidence. There has been specific work on the training pitch.

There will be many in Scottish football that still view him as a No.9 but speak to Hearts fans who were unsure about his signing and the consensus is common: 'I didn't realise he is such a good footballer'. During his time at the club, he has simultaneously been the team's best No.9 and best No.10 and even played in a wider withdrawn role.

"We’ve worked a lot this season on that part of it," Naismith said. "He’s been receptive to doing it. He’s not just wanted to be in the box and scoring goals. It’s taken his game to a different level. He’s a better player now than a year ago and it helps that he has that versatility.

"Very rarely can you go into a game just being the same and go and win it. So you need a bit of versatility and it’s just small changes. Shanks has got that understanding and intelligence to work it out."

Intelligence goes hand-in-hand with awareness and vision. Shankland has all three to go along with his technique, improvisation and execution. Saturday was the perfect example.

The imaginative touch around the corner to set Alex Cochrane free down the right-hand side of the Livingston defence for goal number three could have been served as a dessert; it was so delicious. Then there was the control of Barrie McKay's pass before setting up the first goal which started the comeback. Reacting, thinking in a split-second to guide the ball from between his crotch and knee into his path and then fire it into the exact area where he would want the ball to score.

Naismith points back to time on the training ground.

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"That’s because we work on it a lot," he said. "The midfielders running help him get assists and highlight the good play beforehand. It all buys into how we have improved as a team.

"As much as Shanks has taken the headlines and scored a lot of goals, I’m sure he will be the first to say the guys round about him and have helped him."

That help could and - in this writer's view - should see him lift both the PFA Scotland and Scottish Football Writers' Association Player of the Year awards. He has been the standout player. 

"He should be mentioned," Naismith said. "I think he's got a really good chance. For two seasons in a row, to score the amount of goals that he has, and then on top of that his performances.

"If there's one moment to look at, then it's the narrative of not making the Scotland squad, to making the Scotland squad to, 'Can he be number 9 and can he go to the Euros', to, 'Is he going to be our No 9'. That shows you how far he's progressed this season.

"He showed in the Holland game that he can be a target man as well as being a good finisher. If I'm honest I think he's in with a right good chance of winning it."

Of the last 32 PFA Scotland Player of the Year awards, a non-Old Firm player has won it once (Michael Higdon with Motherwell). Of the last 32 SFWA awards for the Player of the Year there have been three (Craig Gordon twice for Hearts and Leigh Griffiths at Hibs).

"You don’t often see it but that’s the agenda of other people who make these decisions rather than people looking at it subjectively and looking at the stats, performances and all the rest of it," Naismith said. 

"I think Shanks has a good chance of winning it this year and if he does it’s probably a bigger achievement than an Old Firm player winning it."