Everton striker Steven Naismith says he owes his current form to manager Roberto Martinez.
Naismith made 36 all-action appearances for Everton as they finished in fifth, just outside the Champions League places.
"I'm just another year older and another year wiser," said Naismith to the Mail on Sunday. "The last six to eight months of last season, I played well in almost every game. I've been lucky enough to kick on. It's down to confidence.
"That comes from the manager, who allows me to express myself. Overall, he gives you a lot of confidence, encourages you to try the hard thing if it's going to make a difference to the team. For me, it has paid off.
"He knows I can get up and down the pitch - but if I play wider, I maybe lose aspects of my game. I grew up as striker and he knows I still have a knack of getting in the box. He knows I will defend for the team but he still gives me the freedom going forward.
"His training and tactics are different to anything I've ever known and it seems to work a lot of the time. I feel confident enough now that, when we do play the big teams, we're looking for a result. We drew with Arsenal recently and it felt like a defeat. That's how far I've come."
