‘Special’ Moore always stood out – Defoe

After the Tottenham loanee scored in the Ibrox side’s Old Firm victory, former Rangers forward Jermain Defoe praised the impact of “special” Mikey Moore.

Since making the season-long switch from Spurs, Moore has played 24 games, and he probably had his best game on Saturday when he scored the third in a 3-1 victory at Celtic Park.

After receiving a call from him for guidance in the summer, Defoe played a significant role in the 18-year-old midfielder’s development.

Defoe, who worked with Moore while he was a coach at the Spurs academy, called it “what a story it is.”

I spent two years in the academy for under-18s when I finished playing. He probably was 16 when I believe. When I saw him in the training room, I immediately realized that this kid had something special. And I made an effort to work with him as much as possible.

He was the one who stayed out in my eyes forever. He was far superior to all the other players we faced when we played against him in under-18s. In the summer, he called me.

He declared, “I have a chance to go to Rangers.” You must go, to get a chance to go and experience what I did there, I told you. You’ll love it, trust me.

Rangers and Celtic are now at the top of the standings following a subpar campaign under Russell Martin.

Both teams currently trail Hearts by six points, but Danny Rohl’s Ibrox club has put together a level of consistency that has quietly relegated them to the top of the standings.

When Steven Gerrard was in charge of Defoe, the former England international claimed the Scottish Premiership title during a three-year spell at Ibrox. The former England international thinks the most recent Old Firm result is “a huge” for his former team.

Because both clubs have had their struggles, he said, “This win is a massive win.”

They are now both on equal ground in terms of points. This is significant given the Rangers’ winnings in this game and how they did it.

“Not just for the players, but also for everyone who plays football for the club, the fans, and the players.” One of the biggest games in professional football history is happening.

Ibrox center-half John Souttar said to Rangers TV: “I think we have experience in the squad and you have to help the younger boys.

We didn’t show the atmosphere today, though some young people might find it intimidating. The level of aggression was astounding when everyone stepped up and took the ball.

We have a great chance of winning because we have momentum, athleticism, speed, and power, and we do that because we press high and put them under pressure, and we did that.”

The supporters were fantastic, Souttar continued. It was incredible for some of my family to be present.

Everyone in this is celebrating a special moment, but we want to see more of them in the near future.