The 18-year-old has been electrifying during his season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur as he chases the title.
Forward Mikey Moore admits his return to Rangers next season would be a surprise as he vowed to do everything in his power to secure a second Premiership title in 15 years.
The 18-year-old has been electrifying during a season-long loan spell at Tottenham Hotspur and is a key part of a side that is at the center of a three-tier battle for years with Hearts and Celtic.
Moore is set to return to Ibrox next season, but Rangers may have to play the waiting game with Spurs locked in a relegation battle with the England youth international which could be the highlight of any rebuild if they fall to the Championship.
The player is allowing himself to imagine what it will be like if he does not return, as he tries to do his best to make a strong impact in his club’s last seven games.
Speaking to The Athletic, Moore said: “I’ve already thought about it. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the summer but if it looks like I’m not coming back it’s going to be very difficult because I really love the club and the city. I’ve made a connection with the fans. These last seven games are huge. Every second I go on the pitch.
Moore was the underdog for Spurs last season, but he has experienced what it feels like to deliver the trophy to the fans. And he wants to repeat that at Ibrox with Rangers three points behind leaders Hearts with 21 games still to play.
He added: “This means everything to me. Last year winning the Europa League was unbelievable but I didn’t have that much of a role to play. I feel a responsibility to try to help the club lift the title. We can end it with nothing or the biggest prize you can win.”
Moore also provided more insight into the inner workings of Ange Postecoglou and what happened before the Australian made him the last Premier League player in Tottenham’s history when he was handed his first loan.
The former Celtic boss is admired in modern times but the Ibrox loanee defined his old-school style before scoring one of his first career goals.
He said: “He showed his trust in me by playing with me and I could tell that he loved me, but I never spoke to him. He only said ‘you will’ against Man City for my debut. In my first start I got a meeting two hours before the game when the team was on the screen. He is always very far away and tries not to have much contact so that he does not have big feelings, don’t give up on people’s opinions.
“Obviously the decision (to fire him after winning the Europa League) was made by the people at the top of the club but for me it was a surprise. When we won I thought he would always try to build on what he did.”
But it’s a different story when it comes to Danny Rohl. The Rangers boss opened his doors and gave his teenager a message about his importance to the club.
And Moore revealed the call to arms sent to him from Rohl ahead of the game against Kilmarnock in October made Moore the key man in Germany’s 4-2-2-2 formation.
He said: “I was called into his office. He said: ‘You haven’t started but don’t worry you will come, maybe at half-time or after 55 minutes, and you will have an impact today’ – and I did.
“He told me that I would be a great player for us, and at the end of the season, be one of our best players. These were his words. He gave me faith in me and made me feel wanted by him. I wanted to repay that.”
The youngster – who revealed his Rangers-daft girlfriend gave him players after last month’s Scottish Cup defeat to Celtic – revealed the tweak has already paid off big.
Moore added: “I was in a hotel for over a month trying to figure out where to stay, so my diet wasn’t right. I’m really focused on that now. It’s been a big thing and I feel a lot better physically. I feel a lot better. I’m working with someone every day outside of the club on my movement and my nutrition.
And the Rangers star – who is a fan favorite – believes he has gone too far in Light Blue as he reflects on a day of mistakes under Russell Martin’s ruthlessness against Hearts.
Moore had miles on it and he knows it, and he got first-hand experience of how unforgiving the Ibrox stadium can be when things don’t go your way. And he insists he wouldn’t have it any other way.
He said: “I tried to forget about that! That was a bad day for me. I had a crisis. I could feel the fans coming down my back. Nothing was going well for me. Sometimes I could have played more easily and tried to recover the debt. Just keep it and stop doing what I was doing and giving the ball away.
“You can prepare yourself and people can try to prepare you, but once you’re hit by it, it’s different.
“It was a tough time. I got pulled over a few times. It was mentally tough to deal with. I was hearing from someone who didn’t know anything about the fans. I didn’t want to have more days like that. The difference between then and now is crazy.”
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