How Paul Cook turned around Wigan Athletic man's career

And Robbie Blake – who was part of Cook’s backroom staff at Portsmouth and saw it unfold first hand – says the wily Liverpudlian deserves all the credit.

Naismith looked as though he had no future with Pompey during the 2016-17 season, being made to train with the youngsters and then farmed out on loan to Hartlepool.

But that proved to be the kick up the backside Naismith needed to pull his finger out.

Nine goals in the last 16 games of that campaign – making it 17 in total – saw Pompey clinch the League Two title on the last day.

Although Cook departed for Wigan that summer, he went back for Naismith 12 months later when the Scot’s contract expired.

And having established himself as an important part of the Latics squad, Naismith has fully justified the faith shown in him by his mentor.

“Cookie knew what was inside Kal, but Kal didn’t,” Blake said. “He didn’t see it until it started to drop a little bit – now he’s playing in the Championship.

“Kal had everything. The height, pace, physicality, a great left foot, he could finish, the ability to cross, brilliant on dead balls. A lot of talent.

“But sometimes when you’re young you are a bit naive and he didn’t fully allow it to come out until later on.

“He had all the attributes and should he put a couple together then he was going to be huge for us – and Kal was a different class in the end.”

Blake feels the man-management skills of Cook – and No.2 Leam Richardson – helped to resolve the issue.

“Kal had a problem with the manager because he had a tendency to sulk, which Cookie doesn’t like,” Blake added ‘The News’.

“Cookie would rather have him score two and go over to the bench and give him the Vs.

“The manager had him in the office untold times. Me and Leam would do it as well, repeatedly telling him: ‘I know it’s there, go on Kal’.

“Cookie was trying everything with him, leaving him out, bringing him in, giving him a chance.

“When it got bad, Kal trained with the kids, they couldn’t be in the same room. But the good thing about Cookie is he never bears a grudge.

“Other managers would say “Do you know what, you can get lost” but he never said the lad wouldn’t play for him again.

"It was a case of: ‘What else can we do?’, so he was stuck in with the kids for a couple of weeks and told to train with them. Then, all of a sudden, it clicked.”