Northern Ireland U21 star confident 'I'm going to be thriving in the right place' after League One move
Northern Ireland U21 striker Makenzie Kirk feels “I'm going to be thriving in the right place” after making a season-long loan move to League One outfit Barnsley from Portsmouth.
Kirk, who is the son of former Glentoran and Northern Ireland ace Andy, made 14 Championship appearances for Pompey last season having joined from Scottish Championship side St Johnstone.
The 22-year-old scored eight goals in 35 top flight appearances for St Johnstone during the 2024/25 season to attract attention from a host of clubs in England before opting to sign for Portsmouth.
With opportunities set to be limited at Fratton Park this term, Kirk has made a temporary switch to Barnsley and believes it’s the best step for his progression.
"I've spoken to a lot of boys who've been here before – Conor Chaplin, Jordan Williams and Ben Killip - and they all said the same thing: it's a massive club,” Kirk told the club’s website. “It was one thing that I just knew; if I came here, I'm going to be thriving in the right place."
Kirk was born in Edinburgh while father Andy played for Hearts but has pledged his international allegiance to Northern Ireland, playing 13 times for the country’s U21s.
He has scored twice in seven U21 European Championship qualifying matches throughout the current campaign for Tommy Wright’s side and Barnsley head coach Daniel Stendel is excited to work with Kirk.
"Makenzie is a young striker with good qualities and a strong desire to improve,” said Stendel. “He works hard, likes to press from the front and has shown that he can score goals at a good level.
"We believe this is a good environment for him to continue his development and we are looking forward to working with him."
Portsmouth have bolstered their attacking options this summer with the arrival of Kirk’s fellow countryman Eoin Kenny, who joined from Dundalk, and are linked with other forwards.
Pompey manager John Mousinho feels a loan move was the right step for Kirk as he looks to build up further senior experience.
“We think that Makenzie is at a stage where he needs game time and this move gives him an opportunity to continue his development,” Mousinho told the club’s website. “Barnsley are an excellent side at that level and we believe that he can go there and do a really good job.
“The task for him is to do well with them and then come back and be able to challenge for a place in the Pompey side.”