‘Really talented boy’: Dominic Solanke says Tottenham have a youngster who has a really ‘bright future’
Dominic Solanke knows a special talent when he sees one. Having emerged from Chelsea’s legendary academy alongside the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham, the Tottenham striker possesses a keen eye for spotting future stars.
When Solanke speaks about 17-year-old Mikey Moore’s potential, people listen—and his recent endorsement carries significant weight in football circles.
The teenage winger has become one of the most talked-about prospects in Tottenham’s academy, drawing comparisons to Neymar from James Maddison and earning praise from some of the game’s most respected figures.
Solanke, speaking on Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel, placed Moore in the same conversation as Tottenham’s other highly-touted youngsters Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall, despite the teenager having fewer first-team opportunities this season.
“Mikey’s a really talented boy—very direct, a proper winger who takes people on,” Solanke said. “He’s got a bright future ahead of him.”
A Who’s Who of Football Minds Backing Moore
The list of high-profile admirers for Moore reads like a who’s who of football royalty. Yaya Touré, who worked with Tottenham’s youth setup, singled him out as the academy’s standout talent.
Declan Rice has publicly acknowledged the teenager’s rapid rise, impressed that Moore has already trained regularly with the first team despite his age.
Perhaps the most telling endorsement comes from Jermain Defoe, who worked closely with Moore during his time coaching in Spurs’ youth system.
Defoe, a striker who knew a thing or two about breaking through as a young attacker, reportedly told Owen Hargreaves two years ago that Moore was “special”—a label the former England international doesn’t hand out lightly.
Hargreaves recently recalled that conversation, adding: “These young kids play with no fear when others feel pressure. Mikey’s going to be a star.”
Even Tottenham legends like Glenn Hoddle and Harry Redknapp have weighed in. Hoddle loves Moore’s old-school wing play his willingness to take defenders on one-on-one while Redknapp went as far as suggesting the teenager should be starting games already, calling him a “real player” in the making.
The Neymar Comparison and What Makes Moore Special
When Maddison likened Moore to Neymar earlier this season, it wasn’t just about flashy skills. The comparison speaks to Moore’s fearlessness, his ability to beat players in tight spaces, and that intangible quality great attackers possess—the knack for making something happen when nothing seems on.
His style combines traditional wing play with modern attacking intelligence. Comfortable on either flank but most dangerous cutting in from the left, Moore possesses the acceleration to burst past defenders and the technical quality to deliver decisive final balls.
Crucially, as Hargreaves noted, he plays with the unshakable confidence of youth—a trait that can’t be coached.
While Moore has made just a handful of first-team appearances this season, the buzz around him suggests an imminent breakthrough.
Tottenham’s recent integration of young talent—seen with Gray and Bergvall’s involvement—points to a club willing to trust its academy products.
Manager Ange Postecoglou has never been shy about playing youngsters if they’re good enough, and Moore’s training ground performances appear to be making a strong case for more minutes.
With European football likely next season, opportunities for rotation will increase, potentially fast-tracking Moore’s development.
The challenge now is managing expectations. While the hype is justified, Moore remains a work in progress—a fact Solanke, having lived through the academy-to-stardom journey himself, understands better than most.
The key will be gradual integration, patience during inevitable growing pains, and shielding him from the weight of premature comparisons.
Moore represents something exciting for Tottenham—a homegrown talent emerging alongside a new wave of young stars. In Gray, Bergvall, and now Moore, Spurs are building a core of players who could define the club’s future.
For supporters, there’s something particularly thrilling about a local kid (Moore grew up in North London) rising through the ranks. It connects the team to its community in ways expensive signings never can. If Moore fulfills even half his potential, he could become the latest in Tottenham’s proud tradition of developing elite attacking talent.
As Solanke’s endorsement shows, those inside the game recognize something special in the making. The coming seasons will reveal whether Moore can translate that potential into Premier League stardom, but one thing is certain—Tottenham have a genuine prospect on their hands, and the football world is taking notice.