Why Mikey Moore's Tottenham future does not rest on Koln success after latest admission
Mikey Moore has not set himself an immediate time constraint to burst into Tottenham Hotspur's first team.
The winger joined FC Koln in the Bundesliga on a season-long loan, with the aim of gaining valuable first-team minutes in a competitive league.
He spent the entirety of last season on loan with Rangers, where he went through various ups and downs, but returned to Hotspur Way as an improved player.
That was seen by Roberto De Zerbi during pre-season, as the Italian wasn't overly keen on letting Moore go temporarily.
But the 19-year-old knew that if he were to go on loan this season, he wanted to test himself abroad.
Moore rejected proposals in the UK to move to Koln, and Tottenham will be hoping that the time away is a wise investment for all parties.
Mikey Moore makes new 'huge' Tottenham admission after early Koln outings
Tottenham have a reputation for developing young leaders, with Archie Gray the latest to progress in N17.
Moore could be next, and his role as an attacking midfielder for Koln will only further develop his game.
He played 74 minutes in Koln's 1-1 draw against Werder Bremen on Saturday, taking the joint-most shots with three and completing the joint-most dribbles with three at a 60 per cent success rate.
He had an 82 per cent passing success rate, having 32 touches in the match, with three of them coming inside Werder Bremen's box.
The Englishman also chipped in defensively by winning four ground duels, as his work ethic is something that could set him up to receive the captain's armband at Spurs in the future.
Speaking about the Lilywhites after his move to Germany, Moore suggested he will do his best to break into Tottenham's first team, but will remain patient.
Moore said, as picked up by football.london: “My goal is to play at the highest possible level. If I were to break into the first team at Spurs in the future, I’d certainly be very happy about that.
“Spurs are a huge part of my life."
That said, Tottenham value him highly, and how he performs with Koln will not define his time with Spurs in the future.
The statistics at Koln that set Moore up for 26-27 success
While Moore's success at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will not be defined by his season with Koln, it's important that he's at a club that suits his strengths.
The German side had 898 touches in the opposition box last season, just 123 behind VfB Stuttgart, who ranked third for the same statistic.
Koln were seventh in the Bundesliga for the most big chances missed in the division last season with 59, and, similar to Tottenham, underperformed by 10 goals.
But what the stat shows is that Moore's side has a tendency to be in the right place at the right time, and that creating chances is not a problem.
Moore may come back to Hotspur Way with plenty of goals and assists under his belt, but even if he doesn't, the minerals are there for him to succeed with Tottenham sooner rather than later.