Mikey Moore: Why Tottenham are so desperate to keep Man Utd away from their most talented academy star since Harry Kane

Tottenham have a diamond on their hands, and will have a real fight to keep top clubs away if he continues on his current trajectory

Tottenham’s academy has produced a number of household names in the Premier League era, from Ledley King and Peter Crouch to Danny Rose and Andros Townsend, and more recently, Kyle Walker-Peters and Harry Winks. All of those players went on to enjoy strong careers at both club and international level, but Spurs’ most treasured asset was unearthed in 2009, when Harry Kane began his professional football journey.

Kane spent 14 years with the north London club, during which time he managed to surpass the legendary Jimmy Greaves atop their all-time goal-scorers’ chart, while also becoming England captain. Spurs emerged as title contenders and Champions League finalists with Kane leading the line, but when the prolific frontman eventually departed for Bayern Munich in a blockbuster €100m (£84m/$108m) deal, he did so without a single piece of silverware to his name.

In fact, Tottenham haven’t won anything since their 2008 League Cup triumph under Juande Ramos. The Kane era left supporters with a lingering sense of ‘what might have been’, and Spurs are in desperate need of an another inspirational figure with the talent to make the people believe again.

Enter Mikey Moore: the 16-year-old forward with seemingly limitless potential who is already pushing for senior recognition.

Where it all began

How it’s going
Moore got his second senior appearance in Spurs’ 3-0 final day win at Sheffield United, once again coming on as a late replacement for Maddison, before linking up with England for the U17 European Championship in Cyprus.

The Three Lions ended up crashing out on penalties against Italy in the quarter-finals, but Moore went home with his head held high after scoring four goals, two of which came against France in the group stage. The 16-year-old’s second effort was a thing of a beauty, as he calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner after dancing past four opposition defenders, with England eventually running out 4-0 winners.

Postecoglou was obviously impressed, because Moore is now enjoying a prominent role in his pre-season plans. Spurs thrashed Hearts 5-1 in their opening friendly fixture last week, and Moore managed to get on the scoresheet to open his goal tally at senior level.

Mikey Moore delivering in pre-season 😍 pic.twitter.com/f4bbjo5sL2

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) July 17, 2024

He told Spurs’ official website after the game: “To score my first goal, even though it was in a pre-season game, was probably the best feeling I’ve had so far, and to score in front of the fans as well… it was unreal! The little dribble and finish… it’s what I’ve been doing in the academy so I just wanted to keep doing what I’ve been doing. Even though it was a pre-season game, it meant everything to me.”

Moore was subsequently included in Tottenham’s squad for their tour of Japan and South Korea, which will see them face off against Vissel Kobe and Bayern Munich. If he continues to make such a decisive impact in the final third, it’s entirely possible that the 2024-25 campaign will be a breakout one for Spurs’ newest academy gem.

Moore-SpursGetty
Biggest strengths
Highly-rated English coach Harry Brooks, who is the director of the RH Football Group that works with grassroot and academy stars across the globe, recently offered a glowing assessment of Moore to fuel the hype surrounding the Spurs teenager.

“Mikey is a beautiful close-control dribbler,” Brooks told The Athletic. “He has that clutch gene of end-product. The Spurs teams will look to him – all the attacks go through him, but he’ll also finish them off. He is what I call a ‘presence forward’ – which doesn’t need to be the biggest player, you just have to have the presence where you dictate how the team attacks and creates chances. You’re the go-to guy in attack. Mikey will be the one to decide, ‘I’m gonna win this game’.”

Moore’s preferred position is on the left wing, where he can cut inside and wreak havoc on his stronger right foot, but he’s also versatile enough to play as a No.10 or an out-and-out striker. Spurs fans will quickly take to Moore because of his explosive, direct style of play, and he possesses a confident streak that sets him apart from other players at his age.

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  Room for improvement

  The downside of Moore’s electrifying game is the risk of injuries, which have already halted his momentum at certain points. He had to battle back from a fractured leg and ankle ligament damage last season, and will have to take preventative measures away from the pitch while building up the weaker areas of his body.

  Defenders will resort to the dark arts when trying to keep Moore at bay, too, and so he will need to become more robust, and perhaps pick his moments more intelligently. There are times when he can be guilty of overrunning the ball, inviting rough treatment in the process, instead of looking for a team-mate in a better position.

  Consistency will be the key word for Moore, as Spurs academy director Simon Davies has stressed. “I spoke to him about staying calm and consistent and keep working hard every day, do the small things right [because] the small things get noticed,” Davies told the Evening Standard. “He’s super mature for a young boy so let’s hope his potential is fulfilled, but unfortunately we haven’t got a crystal ball. So we just have to do all the things right every day and stay consistent and calm.”

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  The next… Paul Gascoigne?

  There are similarities to be drawn between Moore and Adel Taarabt, the former Spurs and QPR attacker who dazzled English audiences with his footwork and fearlessness between 2007 and 2015. Moore boasts the same level of skill as Taarabt, but it could be argued he’s already ahead of the Moroccan when it comes to end product. Although Taarabt was undeniably box office, he never quite cut it in the Premier League, and more often than not frustrated with his decision making.

  Moore is most often compared to Spurs and England legend Paul Gascoigne, which feels more accurate. Former Spurs No.9 Jermaine Defoe was the first to make the observation, telling the ‘No Tippy Tappy Football’ podcast last year: “It’s a big statement, but he reminds me of Gazza a little bit, the way he glides past people, it’s easy, and he’s doing at 15.”

  ‘Gazza’ was one of the most devastatingly brilliant attacking midfielders of his generation, and almost unstoppable when firing on all cylinders. He had a swagger about him, too, an underlying arrogance that made him fearless on the pitch; Moore has a long way to go before reaching the same heights, but he seems to have that same special kind of presence.

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    What comes next?

    It has been reported that Manchester United and Manchester City are both considering moves for Moore, while German giants Bayern and Borussia Dortmund have also been credited with interest in the young forward. For now, though, it looks like Moore is content to continue his development at Tottenham.

    According to Football Insider, Spurs are close to agreeing on a new contract for Moore, who is expected to sign professional terms with the club when he turns 17 in just two weeks time. Postecoglou may be the perfect manager to oversee Moore’s short-term future, too, because he won’t put any unfair pressure on his shoulders.

    Mauricio Pochettino famously mentioned Marcus Edwards in the same breath as Lionel Messi in 2016, while Troy Parrott was heralded as ‘the next Robbie Keane’, but neither of them ended up making the grade at Tottenham. Patience will be needed with Moore.

    That being said, he certainly appears to be the most gifted academy talent Spurs have had since Kane. It’s easy to forget that Kane was actually loaned out four times before he eventually forced his way into the Tottenham starting XI; Moore might yet follow a similar path given the intense competition for attacking places in Postecoglou’s lineup.

    But if he can stay fit, and he keeps up his current work rate, it probably won’t be long before we see Moore scaring the life out of defences across the Premier League. And who knows, in the coming years, maybe he’ll be the one to help Tottenham finally bring an end to their trophy-less run and shake off their ‘Spursy’ tag once and for all.

    Source Goal.com