STEVEN NAISMITH set his sights yesterday on returning to regular first-team football and winning his Scotland place back.

The Norwich forward has been back training for three weeks after suffering an ankle ligament injury, but admits he might have to look into leaving Carrow Road to get back playing.

The former Kilmarnock, Rangers and Everton player only made one appearance during Scotland’s World Cup qualifying campaign but he wants to extend his international career beyond 45 caps after Gordon Strachan’s successor as manager is appointed.

“Towards the end of that campaign I found it tough,” said Naismith.

“The manager had a great chat with me and said there was no point in me travelling, ‘you’ve not been playing at your club.’

“I understand it was the right thing not to take me but I found it slightly embarrassing. As a youngster you feel embarrassed when you are getting left out but when you are an older player I found it quite hard to take.

“I definitely want to get back playing so I can compete to be back in the Scotland squad. It’s one of the proudest things I have done in my career, play for Scotland, and I want to continue doing that as long as I can.”