Promising Hearts youngster departs Tynecastle for Premiership rivals as Jambos land transfer fee

: Macauly Tait (left) Luke Rathie (centre) and Mackenzie Kirk arrive before a Scottish Cup match between Hearts and St. Mirren at Tynecastle (Pic: SNS) | SNS Group

Hearts striker Mackenzie Kirk has left the club and signed for Scottish Premiership rivals St Johnstone with the Jambos netting an as yet undisclosed transfer fee for the 20-year old.

Kirk, the son of fellow former Hearts striker Andy Kirk, leaves the club having scored 43 goals in 48 games for Hearts B in the Lowland League and had a brief loan spell with Hamilton Accies earlier this year. He is a product of the club’s youth academy and made his senior debut in 2022 as an 18-year old.

Speaking to Hearts’ official website, head coach Steven Naismith said: : “Makenzie is at an age where he wants to play first-team football. The competition at Hearts for a striker’s place is fierce, with the likes of Lawrence Shankland, Liam Boyce, Kyosuke Tagawa and Kenneth Vargas all vying for positions, as well as James Wilson, who came through the academy, and other forward players.

“It’s a tough ask to come into that environment and make a name for yourself. St Johnstone have come in and offered Makenzie a platform to try and make that next step, and it’s an offer the club are happy with so he goes to Perth with both our thanks for his time here and our best wishes for the future.”

After the move was announced Kirk spoke to St Johnstone’s official website, saying:  “I am really pleased to get things sorted. It is the next step for my career and it is the right thing for me to do, to move on from Hearts. I would like to thank everyone from Hearts for the last few years and I am now really looking forward to getting started here with St Johnstone.

“I started really well last season at Hearts. I scored 28 goals before Christmas. I love to score goals, get in behind and work hard off the ball. That is what you get from me. You have to be there to score goals and that is one thing I have always been good at. I like to get on the end of things and put it in the back of the net.”

Hearts legend and former gaffer Craig Levien, currently in charge at St Johnstone, added:  “I have known Makenzie for a number of years now and I know how talented he is in front of goal. I have watched him develop and his pace, power and goals can certainly help us. His goals for Hearts speak for themselves and I’m sure he will bring that goal scoring quality to McDiarmid Park going forward.”