Spurs had the original Mikey Moore before Redknapp sold him for just £1m

Tottenham Hotspur have some tough fixtures coming up in December, most recently losing 1-0 away to Bournemouth. The Lilywhites have been on a frustrating run of form in recent weeks but will be hoping to turn that around, starting with a trip to Rangers in the Europa League.

It will see a return to Glasgow for Ange Postecoglou, where he is sure to get a hostile reception as a former Celtic manager.

The North Londoners also host Manchester United in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on the 19th of December, before Liverpool make a trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium just three days later.

Postecoglou will need to make full use of his full squad over the festive period, meaning 17-year-old sensation Mikey Moore is likely to get plenty of minutes.

Mikey Moore’s rise to the top

It has been a sensational rise for highly-rated teenager Moore. Postecoglou has put great faith in him this season, after giving him his debut last season.

The London-born starlet became Spurs’ youngest-ever Premier League player at 16 years, nine months, and three days old when he came on against Manchester City in the penultimate game of 2023/24.

The teenager has become far more prominent this season in the first team. He has played eight times in the first team, playing 288 minutes in total.

Impressively, the youngster has three starts, with two coming in the Europa League against Ferencvaros and AZ Alkmaar. The other came in the top flight, his first start in the competition, away to Crystal Palace in a 1-0 loss.

Moore, who is an England under-19 international, has certainly left a big mark on his teammates. James Maddison was full of praise for him after the game against Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, comparing him to legendary winger Neymar.

Maddison said “I thought we had Neymar on the left wing”, which is very high praise for one so young.

It certainly seems like Moore is the future of Spurs. The 17-year-old recently signed his first professional deal, putting pen to paper at the start of August. The Lilywhites will certainly be hoping they can keep hold of him in the long run.

Talents like the Spurs number 47 do not come around very often, but the Lilywhites may have fumbled someone over a decade ago who could have been their original Moore.

Spurs’ original Mikey Moore

The player in question here is Moroccan midfielder Adel Taarabt. The now 35-year-old, who is considered by many as a cult hero of modern-day English football, now plies his trade in the UAE for Al-Nasr SC. In his prime, he was an extravagant attacker who played without fear and with plenty of flair.

He made the move to White Hart Lane in 2007 as a 17-year-old from French side Lens. Originally, the attacker moved to North London on loan but made the move permanent after breaking into the first team.

Sadly, Taarabt never really lived up to the hype at Spurs, making just 15 appearances across three seasons for the club, just five more than Moore already has. However, the talent was most certainly there for all to see, just as it is with Moore.

Goal journalist James Westwood said there are “similarities to be drawn” between the former Spurs prodigy and the up-and-coming star. He explained that Moore “boasts the same level of skill” as the Moroccan, although will no doubt hope to be a regular for the Lilywhites, unlike Taarabt.

The former Morocco international left Spurs permanently in 2010 for £1m, who were managed by Harry Redknapp at the time. He made the move to Queens Park Rangers, after spending the previous season on loan at Loftus Road.

Although his talent never shone through in North London, the same cannot be said for his time in West London. Taarabt made 164 appearances for the Hoops, scoring 34 goals and grabbing 40 assists, dazzling fans with his quick feet and bags of skills.

After spending six seasons at QPR, Taarabt has since played for the likes of Fulham, AC Milan and Benfica. It will surely always be a real shame for Spurs fans to think about what could have been with the Moroccan prodigy.

Had he lived up to his potential, the Lilywhites could have had a world superstar in their side, but it was not to be. They will no doubt be hoping Moore can reach Neymar levels, as Maddison suggested, rather than struggling to live up to the hype like Taarabt.