Mikey Moore has confirmed that his move to FC Köln was largely inspired by the success of fellow Englishmen Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham in the Bundesliga. The 19‑year‑old, who became Tottenham Hotspur’s youngest Premier League player when he debuted at 16, joined the German club on a season‑long loan after a spell at Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.
Moore’s decision came after watching Sancho’s rise from Manchester City to Borussia Dortmund, where he made over 150 appearances and helped win the DFB‑Pokal in 2021 before a £73 million move to Manchester United. Bellingham’s path was similar, leaving Birmingham City for Dortmund in 2020, then moving to Real Madrid for £88.5 million in 2023. “Seeing how they’ve flourished here makes it a very attractive place for a young attacker,” Moore told the Euro Leagues podcast on BBC Radio 5 Live. He added that the trust and game time he has received at Köln convinced him that the Bundesliga was the right platform to develop his career.
The loan move followed a productive season at Rangers, where Moore made 47 appearances across all competitions, scoring six goals and adding two assists in 28 Scottish Premiership matches. “I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and test myself in a top‑five league,” he said. “It was a no‑brainer to go to Germany and experience that level of football.” Since arriving at the RheinEnergieStadion, he has settled into an apartment near fellow England youth internationals Reigan Heskey and Jahmai Simpson‑Pusey and has begun learning German, joking that he may take time to master the language but hopes to pick up enough to order food.
Moore’s next challenge will come when Köln host Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich. The fixture offers him a chance to play against Harry Kane, who joined Bayern in 2023 after a long spell at Tottenham where Moore first trained with the first team. “Kane has been an idol of mine since I was young,” Moore said. “Playing against him and sharing a pitch will be a great experience.” He also expressed a desire to keep a memento of the match, hoping to obtain a souvenir shirt from the former Tottenham striker.
With the loan deadline already passed, Moore is focused on establishing himself in German football. He remains optimistic about his decision, stating that the trust from the club’s staff and the opportunities he has received so far have set him on a path to build his own story in the Bundesliga.