Mikey Moore may start for Spurs at Crystal Palace with Son Heung-min struggling

2 days ago

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Ange Postecoglou will remain cautious with Tottenham's winger Mikey Moore, but he might give the 17-year-old the chance to make his first full Premier League appearance at Crystal Palace, as it's expected that captain Son Heung-min will probably not play.

Moore had his second start for Spurs in Thursday's 1-0 victory against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League. After another impressive performance, his teammate James Maddison jokingly compared him to Brazilian star Neymar playing out wide.

Since Son is still not feeling completely fit due to muscle soreness he mentioned earlier this week, Moore has a chance to play against Palace.

"He’s prepared to jump into any match, but I believe it's important to approach the transition to senior football with caution, particularly when it comes to young players," Postecoglou remarked.

“Last year, he didn't have a complete football season due to several injuries that sidelined him for a while. He transitioned from playing under-18s to barely any under-21s before we brought him on board. It's important to consider this context.”

"I believe he is still in the process of physical development, which should be considered. I definitely think he's prepared to begin a match in the Premier League."

"Our goal is to keep nurturing Mikey's development and provide him with opportunities for growth. Every time we've challenged him, he has certainly delivered, and we intend to keep following this course."

With Son unavailable after just making his comeback from a hamstring injury by scoring against West Ham on Saturday, Moore had the opportunity to start his first game at home on Thursday.

Postecoglou was optimistic that the South Korean player might be ready to play against Palace, but his outlook became less hopeful on Friday.

Up to this point, everything we've requested from him has had a significant effect, and we intend to keep moving in that direction.

Ange Postecoglou discusses Mikey Moore

He mentioned, “Sonny isn't fully recovered yet. He won’t be training today, and it seems unlikely that he will participate this weekend. We'll assess his condition after that.”

It might come down to a direct competition between Moore and Timo Werner for the left-wing position, even though Werner has been struggling to find the net lately.

After Werner was substituted at halftime during the match against AZ, Moore shifted from the right side to his preferred position on the left. He then embarked on multiple impressive runs.

Nonetheless, Postecoglou anticipates that the Spurs academy graduate will stay humble and wishes to continue as his coach in four years.

"I believe Mikey simply wants to be himself. As I mentioned after the match, I notice that he is quite mature for his age. He manages situations exceptionally well," Postecoglou stated.

"It's thrilling because the entire club experiences the positive effects, and everyone at the academy takes great pride in it. The whole organization feels proud when they see someone advance through the program."

As a manager, you're thrilled to have a 17-year-old player who is demonstrating a level of maturity and a strong mindset that enables him to strive for excellence in his performance.

"Young players can be thrilling to watch, but there are often concerns about their future development. However, I don't have that worry with him. At just 17 years old, I can't help but wonder how incredible he could be by the time he's 21, and I hope I'm still his coach by then!"