by Tottenham Hotspur’s loss to Manchester City at the end of last season will live long in the memory, for several reasons. For Ange Postecoglou, it was his “worst experience” as a manager. For Spurs supporters, the trigger was an almost existential crisis: many wanted their own team to lose, to prevent Arsenal from winning the title.
Few games in Premier League history have been loaded with such extraordinary emotional weight, and it is clearly not an occasion that Postecoglou and his players will reflect on fondly. One suspects that, if he could, the Spurs head coach would erase all memories of him from his mind.
There was one aspect of the evening, however, that will be remembered more positively by Spurs: Mikey Moore’s debut, in stoppage time. At the age of 16 years, nine months and three days, the winger became the club’s youngest ever player in the Premier League.
Was this moment, this first glimpse of Moore on the senior stage, significant for the club? As it is, it is little more than a footnote. But that could yet change if Moore is able to fulfill his immense potential. In time, if Moore can live up to the hype around him, perhaps that win over City will be remembered more for him than anything else.
“It felt like I was playing FIFA,” he said afterwards. “He was mad. It’s probably the best feeling I’ve ever had. I was asking the ref how far to go because as soon as I got on I wanted it to keep going.”
On Thursday night, in a huddle in Hungary, Moore took another big step forward in his young career. Now 17, he made his first start for Spurs in a 2-1 win over Ferencvaros. His socks rolled down low and the ball seemingly stuck to his foot, the young winger excelled in treacherous conditions. After a few minutes, the Ferencvaros defenders had already resorted to kicking him instead of the ball.
Managers with exciting teenage talents usually try to keep a lid on the hype that surrounds them. It was great, then, to hear Postecoglou speak so loudly about Moore’s performance after the game.
“I thought it was great,” Postecoglou said. “For a 17-year-old to play 90 minutes in a European away game is brilliant. He handled it very well. I knew it would be.”
When asked what he likes most about Moore, the Spurs head coach said: “His ability to handle pressure and keep the ball in very tight areas, and make really good decisions for a young guy.
“He’s still grown so much, but the good thing is that he wants to learn, he wants to develop. I could not be happier for him, but also quite happy that he is part of our football club. He has something special.”
Within the football industry, Moore’s talent has been known for some time. At an under-17 game in March 2023, a scout told Telegraph Sport that every major club in the country was watching the dribbling dynamic in Tottenham’s youth ranks. Moore was 15 at the time, playing a year above his age group, and during that game it was very clear that he was on a different level to the others on the field.
A few weeks later, Moore starred in the under-17 Premier League Cup final against Nottingham Forest. In a 5-1 win he scored twice, including a brilliant solo effort. That was the moment the world began to know that Spurs had a truly ruthless attacking talent on their hands.
Born in south London, Moore was only seven years old when he joined the Spurs academy for the first time. He is climbing through the ranks at a rapid pace, and has been a regular for England at youth level. After that first game against City, he was part of the first team’s pre-season tour this summer. Along with the senior players, he shone.
It is clear that he deserves the affection of that international star. “Great kid,” said James Maddison. “A well-behaved, well-behaved young man and that’s a credit to his parents. I have to pinch myself sometimes and remember how young he is. He is 17 and joined the group when he was 16. He is already a man.”
Moore was particularly keen to learn from captain Son Heung-min, who plays in the same position. “Mike is coming to me and asking me questions,” said Mac. “He’s a great boy and then I’m sure he can be a great player. No doubt, because it has such great quality.
“As we always say about young players, let’s not put too much pressure on his shoulders. Let’s enjoy how he develops, how he improves every single day, every single season. As fans, as supporters, we should enjoy watching him and he will, I think, be one of the best players.
It’s a testament to Moore’s age that even though he’s now a first-team player (he’s made four senior appearances this season) he still thrives in the academy fields at the club’s training ground.
Crucially for Spurs, Moore is theirs for the foreseeable future. He committed to the club in the summer, amid interest from other teams in England and Europe, and signed a professional contract there as soon as he turned 17 in August.
With those low socks and his willingness to dribble on the full backs, there’s a very old-school quality to Moore’s game. Against Ferencvaros on Thursday, he looked to hurt the opposition’s defense every time he got the ball. Not all of the moves were successful, but Moore caused more problems for Ferencvaros than any Spurs player.
Of course, there are no guarantees that Moore will continue to be so sharp. Who knows what obstacles and pitfalls there may be in the wait. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that this is a young man of immense talent. In a Spurs team full of other youngsters, working for a manager he trusts, he seems to be in the right place to nurture that talent.
