Barnsley sign Makenzie Kirk on loan

Kirk came through the Hearts academy, and he signed his professional contract with them aged 16. 

He would make one appearance for Hearts, however had a good goalscoring record for the Hearts Reserve team in the Lowland Football League. 

In January 2024, the forward joined Scottish League One side Hamilton Academical on loan, before signing for St Johnstone in July later that year. 

In 2024/25, the 22-year-old scored eight goals in 35 Scottish Premiership games despite St Johnstone being relegated. 

Kirk then signed for Championship side Portsmouth in September 2025 and made 11 appearances last season scoring one goal. 

Kirk told the club’s website: "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. It was one thing that I just knew; if I came here, I'm going to be thriving in the right place." 

Stendel added: "Makenzie is a young striker with good qualities and a strong desire to improve. 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."