Former Rangers forward Jermain Defoe has praised the impact of "special" Mikey Moore after the Tottenham loanee scored in the Ibrox side's Old Firm victory. Moore has played 24 times since making the season-long switch from Spurs, and arguably had his finest moment in light blue by scoring the third in a 3-1 win at Celtic Park on Saturday.
Defoe played a key role in the 18-year-old midfielder coming north after receiving a phone call from him for guidance in the summer. "What a story that is," said Defoe, who worked with Moore while coaching in the Spurs academy. When I finished playing, I did two years in the academy under-18s. I think he was about 16. As soon as I saw him in training, I thought, 'this kid's got something special'. And I just tried to work with him as much as possible.
He was always the one that stood out for me. When we played games in under-18s, he was head and shoulders above all the other players that we played against. I got a phone call from him in the summer. "He said, 'I've got a chance to go to Rangers'. I said, 'you've got to go, to get a chance to go and experience what I experienced there. Trust me, you'll love it.'
It's amazing to see him scoring in this game and I'll text him in a bit. It's special - he must be delighted because he's just a young kid that just loves football. He'll be buzzing after this." Rangers are now level on points with Celtic after a dismal start to the campaign under Russell Martin, but Defoe believes the latest Old Firm result is "huge" for his old team.
"This win is a massive win because both clubs have had their struggles," he said. "And now they're both level on points. Rangers winning this game and how they won, this is huge." Not just for the players but for everyone involved in the football club, and the fans. It's one of the biggest games in world football.
The victory is also a testament to the hard work of the coaching staff, who have helped to develop Moore into a key player. Rangers centre-half John Souttar praised his teammates for stepping up to the plate and putting pressure on Celtic. "We didn't show it today," he said. "Everyone stood up and took the ball and aggression off the ball was massive."
Defoe played a key role in the 18-year-old midfielder coming north after receiving a phone call from him for guidance in the summer. "What a story that is," said Defoe, who worked with Moore while coaching in the Spurs academy. When I finished playing, I did two years in the academy under-18s. I think he was about 16. As soon as I saw him in training, I thought, 'this kid's got something special'. And I just tried to work with him as much as possible.
He was always the one that stood out for me. When we played games in under-18s, he was head and shoulders above all the other players that we played against. I got a phone call from him in the summer. "He said, 'I've got a chance to go to Rangers'. I said, 'you've got to go, to get a chance to go and experience what I experienced there. Trust me, you'll love it.'
It's amazing to see him scoring in this game and I'll text him in a bit. It's special - he must be delighted because he's just a young kid that just loves football. He'll be buzzing after this." Rangers are now level on points with Celtic after a dismal start to the campaign under Russell Martin, but Defoe believes the latest Old Firm result is "huge" for his old team.
"This win is a massive win because both clubs have had their struggles," he said. "And now they're both level on points. Rangers winning this game and how they won, this is huge." Not just for the players but for everyone involved in the football club, and the fans. It's one of the biggest games in world football.
The victory is also a testament to the hard work of the coaching staff, who have helped to develop Moore into a key player. Rangers centre-half John Souttar praised his teammates for stepping up to the plate and putting pressure on Celtic. "We didn't show it today," he said. "Everyone stood up and took the ball and aggression off the ball was massive."
. I mean, 24 games in and he's already scoring goals like that? That's impressive! What impresses me most is how Jermain Defoe saw his potential from when they were just training together at Spurs academy 
. He's always had something special, but to see it translate into this level of performance is huge.
. They've had a tough start to the season, but now they're level on points with their rivals. It's not just about the players, though - the whole coaching staff deserves credit for developing Moore into this key player 
. And I love how Souttar said everyone stepped up and took pressure off Celtic 
. That's the kind of team spirit that can take you far in football.
, I've been saying that kid's got potential for ages! Defoe's guidance really made a difference, his enthusiasm and passion are infectious. It's amazing to see him get that call from Rangers and take it to the next level... he must be on cloud nine right now 
!
, like, congrats or whatever... I mean, it's cool that Defoe took him under his wing and stuff. It's not like he's some kind of prodigy or anything, just a young kid who likes playing football 
. The coaching staff must be super proud of themselves too, right?
It's amazing to see him develop into a key player and make such an impact. And I love how Jermain Defoe is giving all the credit to Moore - it shows that he sees something special in him too! 
๏ธ It's a testament to the hard work of the coaching staff and players stepping up their game. Can't wait to see what's next for Mikey Moore at Ibrox! 
I mean, to see him score in that big game against Celtic is just incredible, especially considering his age. Defoe must be super proud of him too! He's always been one to spot talent and it sounds like he's helped Moore develop into the player he is today. The coaching staff at Rangers have done an amazing job with him as well, getting him ready for a game like that. It's awesome to see young players like him making a big impact in their first big matches 
.
. And Moore himself must be over the moon after scoring in such an important match 
. It's moments like these that remind us why football is our passion 
!
what a story mikey moore is 
i love how jermain defoe saw something special in him when he was just 16 
rangers are level on points with celtic now but i think it's huge for them to be back in contention 
mikey moore is like 16 lol defoe must've been 17 when he was in the spurs academy I cant even imagine being in that position where ur gonna make it to rangers but defo seems like super down to earth, didnt seem all like "oh i'm fam now" about the whole thing
. I mean, 18 is young but he's already got that special something, you can tell 
. This win against Celtic was huge, not just for the team but for the fans who've been through a rough patch this season 
!
! What's impressive is how the coaching staff at Rangers have helped develop Moore into a key player, and it's not just about his individual talent but also the team effort 
I'm low-key hyped about Mikey Moore's performance 
He's only 18, but defo has some serious game 
. And to see him come in and start scoring goals right away? That's a dream come true for any young player 
. Still, it's great to see some young talent making waves 
. I'm curious to see how Moore develops further with Rangers 
.
.
defoe's involvement in his life has been a game-changer, and now he's paying it forward to other kids at Rangers academy... it makes me think about how far we've come as a society, where someone can say "trust me, you'll love it" and make a difference in another person's life 
. The coaching staff must be doing something right too, because Moore just became a key player overnight 
. Moore must be buzzing after scoring and I'm sure Defoe will give him a hard time about not calling him sooner 
.
๏ธ!