Son of former international and ex-Glentoran and Hearts forward Andy Kirk, the 21-year-old has been impressing lately for Championship club Pompey following his move from St Johnstone in the last transfer window and O’Neill and his team of scouts have been watching.
Kirk has not been named in O’Neill’s 26 man squad for the November World Cup qualifiers in Slovakia and at home to Luxembourg but it appears promotion from Tommy Wright’s Northern Ireland Under-21 set up is not far away.
O’Neill has kept faith with Jamie Reid, Callum Marshall, Dion Charles and Josh Magennis in attack for the upcoming camp and when announcing his panel for the final two internationals of the year spoke about what they bring to the squad.
Reid has started all four World Cup qualifiers so far with the other three being used as substitutes at various times but the No.9 position is up for grabs.
Tellingly O’Neill said: “It’s an area of the team where we’re still searching for an option. There’s no secret that we would love someone to really step up and be playing at a higher level at this moment in time.”
Asked if Kirk, who scored against Coventry last month, could be that front man, O’Neill said: “Yeah, he could be, but he’s played a few games in the Championship, so we shouldn’t get carried away.
Makenzie Kirk has impressed with the Northern Ireland Under-21s
Michael O’Neill discusses injury situation ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers
“He’s a young player who has played well in the 21s. Makenzie is one that we could have thought about for this camp though I personally think he would be better developing further in the 21s for another camp but equally, he’s available if you need to call him in.
“You’ve got to remember a lot of Makenzie’s minutes at St Johnstone were off the bench.
“Portsmouth have paid a fee for him and he’s got the opportunity to start maybe two or three games in the last two or three weeks.
“His time will definitely come and his time will come quickly if he can stay in and around Portsmouth’s team. I think it’s only a matter of time before Makenzie’s going to get that opportunity.”
O’Neill’s current squad may be a young one but he is already excited by other talented kids and adding them to his plans.
“This team is only going to get better,” said the 56-year-old in his second spell in charge.
“I always felt with the previous team, it was about keeping it together.
“I look at this group of players and I see what we have beneath this with players like Ceadach O’Neill at Arsenal, Michael Forbes, who’s out at Northampton (on loan from West Ham), George Feeney at Tottenham and Chris Atherton at Chelsea.
“I would anticipate hopefully in the next two, three years that those boys are stepping through to play senior international football as well.
“Obviously Shea Charles, Conor Bradley and Isaac Price were playing at 19 years of age.
“The most important thing is that we have a strong pipeline to come through, which I believe we have.”
Makenzie Kirk has been among the goals for Portsmouth
Ross County’s Ronan Hale was left out of the squad for a second camp in a row.
O’Neill said: “I had a good conversation with his manager (Tony Docherty). The Scottish Championship to World Cup qualifying games is a big jump and Ronan knows that.
“I explained my rationale for not including him in the previous squad. I don’t think that he’s in as good a form as he was last season. His club manager would testify to that.
“Ronan just has to get himself back. The only way to get up a level is to get promoted or score goals and someone else takes him.
“He was probably disappointed in the summer that didn’t happen for him but he’s a player that we continue to watch.”