Glenn Hoddle’s come out and suggested Spurs should never have allowed Mikey Moore to come to Rangers on loan, because he’d apparently have been getting minutes down in London anyway. I get why a Spurs man would say it, but I don’t agree. If you’re looking at what actually develops a young player, Rangers can be the perfect place for it.

This isn’t a soft loan where you drift through a few quiet appearances, pick up a nice training kit, and head back south unchanged. At Ibrox, you’re expected to win. Every week. Every competition. That expectation does things to you, for better or worse, and the players who handle it usually come out the other side harder, sharper, and a lot more streetwise.

It’s the pressure that makes it worthwhile

In Scotland, the margins are different. The pitches, the weather, the refereeing standards, the physical side of games, the intensity in the stands. None of that is a freebie for a kid learning his trade. He has to find a way.

And at Rangers, you don’t get time to hide. If you’re a wide player, a forward, or a creative type, folk want end product. If you’re not affecting matches, you’ll hear about it. To be fair, that can sound harsh, but it’s also the reality of playing for a massive club. Handling that noise is part of becoming a proper first-team footballer.

Game time matters, but so does meaning

People talk about “minutes” like they’re all equal. They’re not. There’s a difference between a few appearances in a team where the pressure is spread across a huge squad, and playing regularly in an environment where every dropped point is a drama.

If Moore gets a run with Rangers, he’s learning how to impact games where the opposition sits in, where space is tight, and where you’re expected to break teams down. He’s also learning the other side of it: tracking back, dealing with full-backs who fancy the physical battle, and keeping his head when things get scrappy.

The ideal outcome: do it again next season

From a Rangers point of view, you can see the appeal in trying to extend the loan for another year. Continuity matters. Young players can take a while to settle in a new country, a new league, and a new dressing room. If he settles and starts producing, the last thing you want is hitting reset after one season.

And from Spurs’ angle, there’s logic too. Another year in Glasgow could mean Moore comes back with a proper bank of senior appearances and the kind of resilience you don’t always build in comfortable surroundings. The truth is, if he can handle Rangers, he can handle plenty.

So no, I’m not buying the idea Spurs “should never have let him go”. If the loan is used properly, it’s a win-win. Rangers get a talented player with something to prove, and Spurs get a lad who’s been tested in a high-pressure, unforgiving football city.

Written by Sir Walter Smith OBE: 11 January 2026

Tags: transfers