STEVEN NAISMITH is the most willing of conscripts, whether to a charity venture or a footballing cause.

Yet he has eluded recruitment in the past by the two managers who will shape his future in the coming months.

The Everton player was concerned yesterday about raising the profile of an initiative he both backs and funds to help injured war veterans forge a new life. Yet he was also press-ganged into talking about his personal goals as a player under Gordon Strachan at Scotland and Roberto Martinez at Everton.

Naismith, sharp and focused, has no need to find a fresh perspective on his career. Though his involvement with a charity that tends to the needs of those who have suffered for their country does add an edge to his belief that he is a fortunate man who, in his words, has turned a hobby into a career. He stands now at 27 years of age at a juncture that will define his career. Can he be a significant part of a Scotland team that seeks to qualify for Euro 2016? Can he fight his way into an Everton team that boasts the stellar talents of Steven Pienaar and Kevin Mirallas in the wide forward positions where he is most likely to be deployed at club level?

His search for a positive answer to both queries is bolstered by the knowledge that both Strachan and Martinez sought to sign him at varying points in his career. Strachan, then manager of Celtic, was on the trail of the forward when Naismith opted for Rangers in 2007 and Martinez has been a long-time admirer, seeking his services at both Swansea City and Wigan Athletic before inheriting him at Everton.

Of the Scotland manager, he said: "When he arrived I thought he must have liked me if he tried to buy me. But that only gives you a starting point. You then have to prove that what he saw in you is true."

Naismith's progress was hampered by a stuttering start to his Everton career and he admitted that Strachan had talked to him about his limited opportunities in the first team. "He was pretty honest with me when I wasn't playing [saying] that it's going to be harder for me but hopefully I've shown that even if I'm not playing for Everton I can still contribute to the team."

He added of a 2-1 victory in Skopje: "Macedonia was a prime example. I hadn't been playing but I lasted 90 minutes and I felt I did well. Then I got a run in the Everton team, which makes it less of a conundrum for the manager picking me."

Martinez has been publicly and privately supportive of the player who left Ibrox for Everton in 2012. "We had a good conversation this summer. I spoke to him the year previously about signing at Wigan and then I told him I'd chosen Everton," said Naismith. "This year he reassured me by saying he didn't need to say that much to me as he had tried to buy me the previous season. He told me he wanted me to progress the way I had been doing and that he'd tried to sign me for Swansea when I was at Kilmarnock and then I joined Rangers."

He has been impressed by the Spaniard's start at Goodison Park. "When he talked about my career he knew I'd had two knee injuries and that generally I have been a slow starter at clubs until I get used to the surroundings. He was totally right because that's what I felt I was - but for him to notice it from my Kilmarnock, Rangers and Everton days was remarkable."

Martinez demands that all training is done with a ball and Naismith is relishing the new regime even though he accepts that he is working with a level of player that ensures his opportunities are restricted. "At a top-quality club like Everton you've got to be ready when the manager wants you," he said. "The style changes depending on who we're playing so you could be in the team one week but not the next."

He is optimistic about his prospects on Merseyside. "The confidence he brings to you is great. I've enjoyed working with him and you look forward to going to training every day. The next test is to cement a place in the team and feature every week," he said.

He dismissed suggestions that he was considering his options. "Under this manager I'll not be making a quick decision about wanting to move - it's not like that at all. The manager is fair and you can speak to him comfortably and he'll let you know his thoughts," he said.

He has been a notable beneficiary of the Strachan regime. His willingness and team ethic make him an ideal candidate for any team managed by a coach who insists on application and positional discipline in his sides. Naismith had a fine match in the victory over Croatia at Hampden, taking on the selfless role normally performed by Kenny Miller. Strachan was effusive in his praise of the Everton forward's ability both to hold the ball in forward positions and to link play.

Naismith faces increased competition ahead of the double header against the USA tomorrow night and Norway next week with Strachan having available a fit Steven Fletcher of Sunderland. But Naismith is not about to dictate where and when he plays for club or country. "If I'm in the team, I'm happy," he said with the air of a man who knows what is important in life.