Young winger Mikey Moore was compared to Neymar by Tottenham teammate James Maddison after a brilliant display against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday. The English teenager was a standout performer as Ange Postecoglou’s men ran out narrow 1-0 winners at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
A Richarlison penalty was enough to see off the Eredivisie side to ensure Spurs retained their 100% start to their campaign in Europe’s second-tier competition. Moore has started two of the three Europa League games this term while also seeing minutes in the Premier League as a substitute.
His silky dribbling ability and frightening speed were enough to strike fear into the AZ Alkmaar defenders throughout the 88 minutes he spent on the pitch. Playing from the right flank in the opening 45 minutes, Moore showed his versatility by moving to the left wing in the second half. This switch in role saw his performance levels improve and led to an extremely complimentary comparison.
Mikey Moore vs AZ Alkmaar
He was a constant threat throughout
The 17-year-old’s highlights have been shared across social media with Spurs fans raving about the young talent they have on their hands. He was denied a goal by a brilliant point-blank save by the opposition goalkeeper as Moore thundered a header towards goal.
Despite not getting on the scoresheet, the England youth international still caught the eye of many with his driving runs down the wing seeing him take on several defenders at once. He came close to picking up an assist on multiple occasions, cutting in from the left-hand side and drifting dangerous crosses into the penalty area. View his highlights below:
Mikey Moore Statistics vs AZ Alkmaar | |
|---|---|
Statistic | Number |
Total Shots | 3 |
Shots on Target | 1 |
Expected Goals | 0.38 |
Expected Assists | 0.29 |
Dribbles Attempted | 4 |
Minutes Played | 88 |
Neymar Comparisons From Maddison
It’s high praise for the youngster
One man who was impressed by Moore’s performance was his teammate Maddison. The ex-Leicester City man waxed lyrical about the teenage sensation’s display, telling TNT Sports:
“From minute 45 to 65 I thought we had Neymar on the left wing! He was brilliant. He’s just demanding the ball, fearless, that young fearless mentality, and you never want to take that away from him.”
The England international went on to add: “He’s a young kid, he’s a brilliant lad, he’s a lovely boy, he takes on information, and he’s got bags of ability so I’ll be there as an older player, hopefully, with some wise words to help him 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.”
If his teammates are this impressed by his performance levels and overall work rate at such a young age, it could only be a matter of time before Ange Postecoglou hands Moore a full Premier League debut. He’s expected to continue to be an important player in Europe this season.
Statistics are courtesy of Transfermarkt and Sofascore. Correct as of 25-10-24.