Tottenham’s 17-year-old teenage sensation Mikey Moore was pivotal in their home victory against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League league phase. But, what has happened to Moore and why is he not even making the bench?
Tottenham Hotspur have one of their biggest games of the season on Thursday as they look to overturn a 1-0 deficit against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.
It is a narrow scoreline, but Spurs’ recent performances have left much to be desired. One moment, they look dominant. The next, they look a shadow of themselves.
Club captain Heung-min Son has called on his teammates to put in a strong performance. The Tottenham captain openly labelled Spurs’ round of 16 first-leg display as not good enough.
Mikey Moore has been missing for Tottenham Hotspur
As the Lilywhites prepare for the return leg, they will be hoping to have as many key players available as possible.
That could be the case, with Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, and Dominic Solanke all expected to start the Europa League second-leg clash from the off.
However, Dejan Kulusevski and Radu Dragusin are set to miss out due to injuries, while Rodrigo Bentancur remains unavailable through suspension.
Yet, amid these absences, there is one player whose omission could be pivotal—Mikey Moore. The teenager has missed Spurs’ last four outings and has not even made the bench.
It is a puzzling situation, given his undeniable talent. Moore has been tipped by Jermain Defoe as a future star for Tottenham, while Micah Richards has publicly called for Mikey Moore to be given more minutes.
It is no surprise, considering his standout display against AZ Alkmaar in the League Phase round, where Spurs secured a 1-0 win.
Moore’s influence on Spurs’ first home win against AZ Alkmaar
Moore was instrumental in that performance. He registered three shots, one of which was on target, and looked to make things happen whenever he got the ball.
He attempted to take on his man three times, played a key pass into the final third, had a big chance, sent in four crosses, and recorded six touches in the opposition box.
It was the teenager’s impact that sparked a much-improved second half, leading to Spurs winning a penalty when Lucas Bergvall was fouled by Maxim Dekker—Richarlison stepped up and converted.
Moore’s display even drew comparisons to Neymar from James Maddison, highlighting just how highly he is rated within the squad.
Despite this, Moore’s sudden absence has led to speculation that he may have picked up a minor injury, which would explain why he has not featured since.
Ange Postecoglou has not confirmed any such injury, which leaves one other option – he has simply not been selected in recent matchday squads.
The truth is that Moore deserves to get some important Tottenham minutes ahead of a number of senior misfiring forwards. Wasting a generational academy talent for the sake of giving people like Timo Werner minutes would be a huge mistake.
If Moore is given the chance against AZ Alkmaar, he could provide the kind of attacking spark Spurs desperately need as they look to turn their European fortunes around.
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