An unnamed former Tottenham youth coach has compared the club’s academy starlet Mikey Moore to former Spurs midfielder Adel Taarabt.
Even though Moore is only 16 years of age, there is already plenty of excitement at Hotspur Way about the youngster’s potential, with the winger dominating the Under-18 Premier League last season.
Mikey Moore is Tottenham’s youngest-ever Premier League player
The youngster made his senior bow for Tottenham towards the end of the 2023-24 season, becoming the youngest player to represent the Lilywhites in Premier League history.
Moore also played a starring role for England’s Under-17s in the UEFA U-17 Euros, proving the driving force behind their march to the quarterfinal, where they lost to Italy on penalties.
It has been widely reported that the winger is one of the most sought-after young players in world football, with The Daily Mail reporter Josh Hughest telling The Spurs Chat Podcast just last week that the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City would all take him if they had the chance.
Mikey Moore has all the skills of Adel Taarabt
The Athletic have now spoken to a former Spurs academy coach, who suggested that Moore is almost a throwback, comparing his skill on the ball to the wizardly Taarabt.
He said about the teenager: “He is a special talent. He has great technique. It’s hard (to compare him). He’s like a throwback player. In terms of his skill and ability, he is a bit like (former Tottenham and Morocco forward) Adel Taarabt.”
Tottenham’s own academy director Simon Davies called for patience around the talent of Moore late last month given his young age but did admit that Ange Postecoglou is keen to integrate young players into the first team.
He told the Evening Standard: “It’s encouraging that the manager sees something in Mikey but it is just potential at the moment,”
“He’s a 16-year-old boy. He’s not 17 until August, so he’s a young boy with high potential. We have several of them in the academy.
“It’s exciting for the academy to have a player so young on the bench. But we have to stay calm and consistent. Because at the moment, it is just [potential].
“I spoke to him this morning while he was having his breakfast about staying calm and consistent and keep working hard every day, do the small things right [because] the small things get noticed.
“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.”
Spurs Web Opinion
In terms of raw skill, Taarabt was a generational talent but his career should perhaps be a cautionary tale to Moore as to why talent alone is not enough for one to thrive at the highest level, with application, attitude and hard work also being crucial factors in making it.
Keep up to date with all the latest Tottenham news and opinion by following SpursWeb’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
