Tottenham Hotspur may be struggling in the Premier League, but one thing they mostly managed to get right was securing good loans for its up and coming developmental players. One of the players who had the most successful loan this season was 18-year-old Mikey Moore, who spent the season in Glasgow with Rangers in the Scottish Premier League.
Moore, considered one of the most promising players in Tottenham’s academy, struggled a bit at the beginning of the season but really started to come into his own after Rangers sacked Russel Martin and hired Danny Rohl. Moore scored 7 goals and tallied 2 assists in all competitions this season and became a fan favorite at Ibrox by the end of the campaign. Rangers fell behind in the league title race — that will be decided this weekend in an epic final day match between Hearts and Celtic — but there’s no doubt that he had an excellent loan and developed a ton during his year in Scotland.
In an interview posted on Rangers Review, Moore spoke about his experience at Rangers and how much he took from his time playing in Scotland.
“Yeah, no matter what happens now, this club’s been a huge part of what I’m going to become and it’s helped me so much. So, for me, no matter what happens, I’m a fan of this club for the rest of my life now. So, it’s been a special experience.
“I think, mentally, I’ve just changed so much as a person. The way I look at stuff now, I think I’ve realized that every day means something. So, before, maybe I’d have days where I was a bit switched off and I’d come into training and I’m kind of not on it as much as I need to be.
“But if you want to go and win every single game, that’s the way we need to be. I think, as a team, we need to learn that as well. So, we need to realise that every day means something and it’s a chance to improve. So, for me, that’s been the biggest learning point for me.”
Mikey seems to have a good head on his shoulders and is very self-aware about his own performances, his current deficiencies as a young player, and how he was worked to improve himself every day while at Rangers.
“You need people to think of you, that you’re going out there and giving your all. I’ve had many days this year where I’ve not been good enough and I’ve not showed enough, but I think I’ve shown that I’m still trying and I’m trying to give my all. So, it’s nice to have that respect. Obviously, the gutting thing is that we don’t have that as a team to really make your mark. I think people remember winning titles, not just individuals. So, that’s the disappointing thing for me.
“Obviously scoring at Celtic Park was my best moment being there. I think that day I realised what that game meant to people. When I see, even after the game, we pulled up at Ibrox and there were loads of fans waiting for us, celebrating. That was the best moment of my Rangers career and I’ll remember that goal really for the rest of my life.“
Despite the good loan, Moore’s Tottenham future is uncertain, only in the sense that there’s no guarantee he’ll immediately slot into the Spurs first team next season under Roberto De Zerbi. He might of course, but it’s more likely he’ll be a rotation option and role player for Tottenham next season; he’s only 18 and another solid loan might make more sense than getting spot minutes off the bench at Spurs.. When asked, Moore was cagey about what his future holds, but implied he’s keeping an open mind about De Zerbi and his future at Spurs.
“For me now, it’s hard because it’s the same as for me last year. A new manager was in at Tottenham and I had to go back in and see what he was saying about me and then see what everyone was doing. To be honest, I think it will be the same sort of process. I think there’s a new manager at Spurs at the minute and obviously I’m a Spurs player, so we’ll have to see what he says about me, what he wants me to do, what the people around me want me to do. I think that’s all I can say at the moment. I’m going to go back there and see what the new people say in the building and from there I’ll make a decision.”
