'Exciting': Why Rich Hughes is convinced Portsmouth summer recruit will flourish after low-key start

Rich Hughes is convinced Makenzie Kirk represents an ‘exciting’ signing for Pompey.

And he believes the 21-year-old will flourish under the wing of Colby Bishop as he finds his feet at Fratton Park following a Scottish Championship switch.

Kirk spent the international break on duty with Northern Ireland Under-21s, starting against Germany and Malta, while scoring in the latter.

He now returns to the south coast bidding to break back into John Mousinho’s squad at Leicester, having been omitted for the Blues’ previous two matches.

The former St Johnstone striker has totalled 37 minutes for Pompey since his deadline day move in a deal worth around £500,000.

And while Hughes admits Kirk is ‘raw’, he is confident the talented youngster can blossom at Fratton Park.

‘There was a lot of interest’

The Blues’ sporting director told The News: ‘Makenzie is raw, he is physical, he’s athletic, he’s got an eye for goal.

‘He has bits he needs to tidy up on his play and some of his link play, but we think he’ll be one that will affect it and we like having Makenzie and Wadds as two young centre-forwards who can learn their trade off one of the best in the business.

‘I think it’s really going to be exciting how it works out for Mak, we’re delighted to have him in. There was a lot of interest and we are really pleased he saw this pathway with us for the next few years.

‘He has some really natural tools and is probably somewhere in between Colby and Wadds. He’s a really mobile runner who can work channels, he has some good instincts in the box and a cleanness around it.

‘You look at Colby as the benchmark of a Championship number nine. Colby is physical, he’s mobile, he presses well, he can score goals with his left foot, right foot and head.

‘If you’ve got two young forwards who show a willingness to learn and keep Colby honest in terms of his performance levels, everyone will benefit.’

Bianchini preferred as centre-forward cover

Waddingham, who had featured five times this season, is presently injured after tearing his thigh in training ahead of the south-coast derby, ruling him out of action for up to 12 weeks.

With Makenzie left out of Pompey’s last two squads, Mousinho had earmarked Florian Bianchini for striking cover should the need arise to substitute Colby Bishop.

The head coach’s reasoning is based on the Frenchman having often played as a centre-forward for Swansea last season, rather than his favoured wing position.

Still, with players returning from the international break, it will be intriguing to see whether that remains the striking policy for Saturday’s trip to Leicester (7.45pm)

Hughes added: ‘Colby, Mak and Wadds are all different, but have similar traits in terms of physicality.

‘All three of them have a willingness to press and press from the front, which is paramount to how John wants to play and what John expects with his forward players.

‘The year we won the league, we were set up to have Colby, Chris (Saydee) and Kusini (Yengi). So a club like Pompey should have three to affect the group, it’s really important.’

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