Former Rangers star convinced of European loan move by unlikely source as Old Firm rivals become teammates

When former Rangers star Mikey Moore was considering his short-term future at Tottenham amid loan transfer speculation, an unlikely source gave him some advice.

The winger spent the 2025/26 season on loan at Ibrox where he became a fan favourite and has now been farmed out again by manager Roberto De Zerbi. Bundesliga side Koln were interested in the 19-year old throughout the transfer window and finally got their man in the latter stages of the window. Moore has made two subsequent Bundesliga appearances.

Defender Jahmai Simpson-Pusey had a less successful loan spell in Glasgow last season as he only made one Celtic appearance following his short term move from Manchester City. After moving back to the Etihad prematurely where he also struggled for minutes, the 20-year old move to Koln in the summer and is enjoying life in his new surroundings. A former England youth international teammate of Moore’s, Simpson-Pusey claims he gave him some advice when considering a move.

Moore receives agent treatment from unlikely source

Simpson-Pusey has also been joined by 18-year old Reigan Heskey - son of former England international Emile - at the RheinEnergieStadion. The defender told the Daily Record it’s nice to have a few familiar faces in the squad. He said: “That's good. We now have a bit of English culture in the team.

"I spoke to them beforehand. But I didn't force them to come here. Many see that (the Bundesliga) can be a sensible step. I didn't know where I would be playing either. But I came here to prove myself. (But) I’m really happy and very satisfied with how things have developed. The decision was a no-brainer."

Simpson-Pusey’s only Hoops appearance came in a 4-0 victory last November against Kilmarnock. Meanwhile, Moore established himself as a key player on the wing at Ibrox. The young Englishman scored seven goals and registered four assists in all competitions during his 47 Light Blues appearances.

Moore on Premier League ambition

Moore won the SPFL Premiership’s Young Player of the Year award last season. While his attacking numbers were fairly modest, his direct dribbling ability and tricky wing play earned him fan favourite status among the Ibrox faithful. He also notably was on target in both away fixtures to Old Firm rivals Celtic.

The winger has made no secret that his ultimate ambition is to play regular football in the Premier League. While a Koln move won’t immediately fulfil this, a chance to gain experience in one of Europe’s top five league can only be a step in the right direction.

After a friendly last month against Millwall, he said: “To compete in the Premier League - where I want to play football, you need to be physically right. You need to be as good as all the other boys in the league because it's such a physically demanding league. It's something I've had to work hard on over the summer but I'm feeling good in myself and need to show technically as well that I'm at a good level.”

(The Scottish Football Social Club is presented by BetSBK.com | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly)