Tottenham Hotspur’s James Maddison has compared starlet Mikey Moore to Neymar following a fabulous display by the 17-year-old against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League.
The Spurs academy graduate played 88 minutes in the 1-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and dazzled fans and players alike with his brilliant performance. Maddison, who was appointed captain for the game, was full of praise for Moore in the post-match interview.
“I thought we had Neymar on the left wing” – says James Maddison
“From minute 45 to 65, I thought we had Neymar on the left wing. He was brilliant. Just demanding the ball and fearless. [He has] that young, fearless mentality, and you never want to take that away from him.” Maddison said.
“He’s a young kid, a brilliant lad, a lovely boy. He takes in information, and he’s got bags of ability, so I’ll be there as an older player, hopefully with some wise words to help along the way. He’s got all the ability. It’s just about knuckling down and working hard, which he does to be fair to him.”
Tottenham Hotspur’s youngest Premier League debutant
Moore is rated highly by the club and was identified by The Guardian as one of the top first-year scholars in the Premier League in 2023. Capable of playing on both flanks or in attacking midfield, the teenager is an exceptional dribbler with an eye for goal. He made his debut for the Spurs under-21 team at the age of 15, and a year later, Moore became the youngest Tottenham player in the Premier League ever. The then 16-year-old came on as a late substitute against Manchester City to beat Dane Scarlett’s record. Moore has also represented England at various youth levels and debuted for the under-19 team in September.
During the preseason, having yet to pen a professional contract with Spurs, fans were nervous about losing their starlet. European giants like Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Borussia Dortmund showed interest in Moore, but Spurs moved quickly to negotiate a contract with him. To the relief of Tottenham fans, the club announced that Moore had signed his first professional contract with them in August.
Moore is a fantastic prospect and a player who is bound to get many more opportunities in the first team over the next few months—definitely a player to watch out for.
