Makenzie Kirk has given fans of Heart of Midlothian 23 reasons to talk about a call-up to the first team.

The striker has lit up the Lowland League and has been in great goal-scoring form. The latest arrived against league leaders East Kilbride, netting a double in a 4-2 win.

HeartsTV sat down with the 19-year-old earlier in the week. The replies on social media were expected, calls for him to be given a chance. It's completely understandable, supporters are really excited about a prospect in the academy scoring on a regular basis.

Context is required, namely the level the goals have arrived at and the elements of the teenager's game that are in need of improvement before he makes that step into becoming a first-team regular, not just on the fringes and taking part in training.

"Mak Kirk's strongest attribute is finishing, arguably the top, as good as anyone we have got at this club," Naismith revealed. "Top, top. But the other aspects of his game he needs to work on, he's such a good character that he learns. If anything he works too hard, running everywhere and the ball comes in the box and he's not there or the link up is not there because he is doing somebody else's job.

"For the last year that's the biggest thing I've tried to turn with him when I've been working with him. But his season so far has been really good, improving in all the areas. When he's around with the first team he's had a few sessions where we are like 'that part needs to be better' then he gets it. For instance he was in our training group yesterday (Thursday) and does really well so it's about keeping him on that upward trajectory."

Naismith has a strong desire to improve the pathway between the academy and first-team. He believes the club are making progress in that area but he's wary of putting a player in too soon and the detrimentel impact it could have.

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"The ultimate goal is that he needs to be in the first team," Naismith said of Kirk. "He might go and break records in the B team league but that's irrelevant really because he needs to progress and we need to test him to see exactly where he is.

"Like I've said before I am not going to fling any young kid in just to show we are throwing him in. It can kill a young player as much as it can help them but we want to get as many young players through as we can. A lot of work we've done in the background with the B team, with the boys going on loan, how their working week works in terms of getting around the first-team is as good as it's been since I've been at the club.

"It's just that last bit that everybody sees is on the pitch and getting him there. I think we are in a good place and have some good prospects coming through so we will see in the next year or two and we can hopefully get a few of them in the first team."

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Naismith admitted there will be thought put into Kirk's short-term future in January. Consideration over where his development is best suited, whether it be with the B team, as part of the first-team or a possible loan move. 

"In terms of January we will wait and see because the question will be will he get much else from the next six months in the B [team]. If there is an offer and somebody wants to take him higher up, do we challenge him there?"

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