Former Rangers hero hails Russell Martin target amid strong transfer links with Ibrox club
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Ex-Rangers striker Jermain Defoe has believes the Russell Martin’s reported interest in Tottenham Hotspur teenager Mikey Moore could turn out to be the ideal move for both player and club, if they can get the deal over the line.
The 17-year-old midfielder was linked with a potential loan switch to Rangers earlier this week, with reports claiming the Ibrox hierarchy were closing in on a move that would see the youngster arrive on a deal until the end of the season.
Those rumours gained further traction when Thomas Frank opted to leave the teen out of the Spurs squad for their pre-season tour to Hong Kong and South Korea this week, with the Danish boss admitting: “Mikey is a big talent, I’m really excited about his future here at Tottenham. I think for all players, but especially the younger players, they need to get that first-team consistent football into their bodies. If we can find the right option, we’ll do that.”
Part of the last Rangers squad to win the Scottish Premiership in 2021, Defoe scored 32 goals for the club during his three-season stay at Ibrox, but retired in March 2022 following a short stint with Sunderland and went on to become coach of Spurs’ under-18 squad, where he managed Moore in the North London outfit’s academy, and has given the youngster a glowing reference ahead of his potential move to Glasgow.
“Mikey Moore's an amazing young talent,” said Defoe. “When I came into the academy, they said to me there's this young player that you need to see because he's the next best thing. As soon as I saw him, I thought he’s got something special. He deserves the opportunities that he is getting right now, and we must remember, he’s very young, only 17.
“He’s still got time to improve and I don't think anyone has seen the best of Mikey Moore yet. Once he plays consistently and he gets that confidence and arrogance that he had in the youth team, then we'll see the best of Mikey, he is a top player.”
The starlet, who turns 18 next month, featured sporadically under ex-Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou last season, and scored his first senior goal in a 3-0 win over Elfsborg on the way to his team's Europa League success. He is also officially the youngest player to play for Spurs in the English Premier League, making his debut against Manchester City in May 2024 at the age of 16 years and 277 days.
“I still speak to Mikey now,” Defoe told Footy Accumulators. “He's someone that wants to improve, he’s a nice kid. I was so happy when I saw him come on last season in Europe and get his first goal, and he gave me a little mention in the interview after which was brilliant. My advice to him would be to keep working hard, keep improving every day on your game and working on your game every single day.
“Work on those final third actions, whether that's a pass or whether that's a shot. Focus every single day to improve because you’re a young player and there's so much improvement that you can make. But he also needs to embrace it. Learn from the players around you and learn from the players that you play against.”