‘They All Said The Same Thing’ – Portsmouth Star Explains Barnsley Move | OneFootball

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Portsmouth striker Makenzie Kirk has revealed that conversations with former Barnsley stars played a key role in convincing him to make the season-long loan switch to Oakwell.

The 22-year-old arrived at Fratton Park last summer on the back of a breakthrough campaign at St Johnstone, as the Pompey looked to add greater firepower to their attack.

However, regular opportunities proved difficult to come by, with Kirk clocking just 452 minutes across 14 Championship appearances.

The Northern Ireland international also found it difficult to make a telling impact in those outings, scoring just once during his limited time on the pitch.

As a result, Portsmouth assessed that a temporary move would be the best solution to ensure the striker secured regular first-team football.

Pompey subsequently reached an agreement with Barnsley over a season-long loan, paving the way for Kirk to complete the move.

Following the official announcement, Kirk admitted he sought the opinions of former Barnsley players before completing his move to Oakwell, with Conor Chaplin, Jordan Williams and Ben Killip all delivering a unanimous verdict on the stature of the club.

He also believes Barnsley offers the right environment for him to fulfil his ambitions, underlining his confidence in the move.

Kirk told Barnsley’s official 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.”

Kirk will now be eager to repay Barnsley’s faith by establishing himself as a regular and helping the club mount a strong League One campaign.

Portsmouth, meanwhile, will also keep a close eye on his progress, hoping consistent game time accelerates the striker’s development.

John Mousinho’s side also continue to work on strengthening their own squad and are closing in on a deal for shot-stopper Daniel Bielica.