Former Rangers winger Mikey Moore has admitted the criticism he faced during his loan spell at Ibrox helped mentally toughen him up, as he now prepares to face Bayern Munich with Cologne.
The 19-year-old Tottenham loanee struggled early in Glasgow before being named Scotland's young player of the year last season. After returning to Spurs, he made his Premier League debut on the opening day of the season, missing three big chances in a 3-0 defeat at Brentford, before being loaned to Bundesliga side Cologne.
Learning from Glasgow criticism
Moore said the experience of playing for Rangers prepared him for the scrutiny he now faces in Germany.
“There’s not many places like Glasgow when you’re getting criticism,” he said. “I learned that in the first few months at the club. But I deserved it and I had to take it. Obviously I wasn’t playing too well so you’re going to get criticism. Luckily that changed when Danny Rohl came in so, yeah, I think that experience will prepare me for when I go back to Tottenham.”
He added: “I’ve always been strong but after that experience – when I didn’t expect to get the stick I did – it helped mentally toughen me up so much. It prepared me to go back because in the Premier League everyone’s watching and you’re criticised from everywhere.”
Dealing with Premier League pressure
Moore admitted the criticism after his difficult opener against Brentford stung, but he is determined to move on.
“That was difficult,” he said. “I’d come back from pre-season in a really good place, ready to impress. I got my opportunity in that game, playing on the right side. I had a few chances fall my way and should have scored one or two of them. That’s on me. After the game I got quite a bit of criticism, saying I should have scored, so I took that on the chin.”
He added: “Now I need to just push on and I’m in a good place to do that. It’s a good opportunity over here in Cologne. I’ve got the trust from the staff and fans, so I’m hoping to get on the scoresheet more.”
Facing Bayern and Harry Kane
Moore is set to face his toughest test yet when Cologne host Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on Friday, with former Tottenham teammate Harry Kane in the opposition.
“These are the kind of games why I joined Cologne,” he said. “Bayern are among the top three teams in the world at the minute so it’s going to be a difficult day and obviously they’re going to have some really good players – but I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully I can show what I can do against such a top opposition – players like Harry Kane.”
He added: “Do I know him from Spurs? I just missed him a little bit. When I went up to the first team at Spurs, it was under Antonio Conte and I was 15 at the time. I trained in a few of the sessions before he left and, yeah, he was a good player. But he and I don’t really have a personal relationship as such. We’d see each other around at England camps and say hello.”
Moore said Kane, who recently won the Ballon d’Or, is someone to look up to. “He came from the Tottenham Academy too but he has just won the Ballon d’Or – so he’s a top person to look up to,” he said.
