The Rangers' star player, Mikey Moore, has been hailed as 'special' by former teammate Jermain Defoe, who played a pivotal role in bringing the young midfielder to the club. Defoe, who worked with Moore at the Tottenham academy, shared an inspiring story of how he recognized Moore's potential at a young age and encouraged him to pursue his dream of playing for Rangers.
"What a story that is," Defoe said. "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."
Moore has lived up to his 'special' reputation since joining Rangers on a season-long loan from Tottenham. He has played 24 times for the club, with his most memorable moment coming on Saturday when he scored the third goal in a 3-1 win at Celtic Park. This victory has propelled Rangers back into title contention, level on points with Celtic and just six points behind Hearts.
Defoe believes this win is significant for Rangers, especially after a dismal start to the campaign under Russell Martin. "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."
The Rangers' center-half, John Souttar, also praised the team's performance and the support of the fans. "The atmosphere can be intimidating for some lads, but we didn't show it today," he said. "Everyone stood up and took the ball and aggression off the ball was massive. We have momentum, athleticism, speed and power and when we do that and press high and put them under pressure then we have a great chance to win and we did that."
However, the article also highlights the controversy surrounding the Old Firm rivalry. While both teams are now level on points, the win for Rangers has sparked debate about the impact of consistency and guidance from managers like Danny Rohl and Steven Gerrard. Some may argue that Rangers' success is a result of their ability to build on momentum and press high, while others may point to the influence of their managers and the support of their fans. This win has certainly raised the stakes for the rest of the season, and the debate is sure to continue as the title race heats up.
