Portsmouth boss' admission over summer signing after fading from first-team picture
The former St Johnstone man has scored once in 13 appearances for the Blues since joining in September
John Mousinho has reassured Makenzie Kirk that his Pompey career is currently ‘ahead of the curve’.
And he has urged the former St Johnstone man to keep battling away to wrestle a first-team starting spot off Colby Bishop.
It has been a mixed maiden Fratton Park campaign for the 22-year-old, who has opened his goal account and started four Championship games - yet struggled to dislodge a misfiring Bishop from Mousinho’s starting XI.
Indeed, Kirk has featured just three times in 2026, while has missed the last two fixtures with an Achilles problem felt in training.
Even with Bishop’s ongoing scoring issues and the Blues’ overall problem with hitting the back of the net, the Northern Ireland under-21 international has often been overlooked.
But Mousino thinks the striker has done better than expected since arriving in September from the Scottish Championship.
‘He is well ahead of the curve’
He told The News: ‘Mak is doing well, he is ahead of the curve in terms of where we thought he was.
‘We definitely brought him in to compete, but we probably didn't see him starting as many games or playing as many games as he has done. It’s always going to be a difficult one for him to try to dislodge Colby when he’s been in the starting XI.
‘To be fair to Mak, he has come in and scored, affected games, made a few starts here and there and is always a good option to have off the bench.
‘At the minute, though, Colby is in really good form, so Mak’s just got to keep his head down and keep going. Although he’s also had an Achilles issue.
‘Naturally, there is a big jump from the Scottish Championship to the English Championship. It has been a big adjustment for him.
‘You see some English players going over there from League Two or League One and doing well in the Scottish Premiership.
‘The top of the Scottish Premiership is very very good. There has always been that debate about where Celtic and Rangers fit into the Premier League or Championship.
‘But, behind that, is probably a mixture of some very, very good players, some good Premier League and Championship players, and maybe below that as well.’
One goal in 13 appearances for Portsmouth
Overall, Kirk has made 13 appearances this season, with his last start arriving in the 5-0 New Year’s Day defeat at Bristol City when Colby Bishop was injured.
The deadline day loan signing of Jacob Brown has also increased competition for places, although Thomas Waddingham is still without a comeback date after five-and-a-half months out with a thigh injury.
Bishop has started nine of Pompey’s last 10 matches, his only absence during that period coming at Preston, when sidelined by an ankle injury, scoring twice in that time.
Meanwhile, the Blues’ head coach believes it is too early to discuss whether Kirk needs to be loaned next season to aid his development.
Mousinho added: ‘Will Mak go out on loan next season? There’s no point in thinking about that now.
‘The only thing for us is knowing we’ve got him for the rest of the season and, when he comes back in pre-season next year, he will be challenging for a starting spot - and then we’ll go from there.’