Mikey Moore pinpoints exact moment that kiboshed permanent Rangers transfer after opting for fresh start
Winger was on loan at Ibrox from Tottenham Hotspur last season
Former Rangers star Mikey Moore revealed that any chances of a permanent transfer to Ibrox disappeared when manager Danny Rohl left the club.
The 19-year old winger excelled under the German gaffer at Ibrox last season during his loan spell from Tottenham. Towards the end of the campaign, Rohl explained he’s do ‘everything’ in his power to sign Moore permanently, but shortly after left for Austrian outfit RB Salzburg.
It was at this moment that Moore claims any chances of a permanent Ibrox move diminished. Instead, the England youth international was farmed out again, this time to German Bundesliga side FC Koln, where he’s made eight appearances so far this season.
Why did Moore not sign permanently in the summer?
He told the Daily Record: “We spoke throughout the year and even at the end of the season before we finished, there were talks with Rangers. I was speaking with my agent, and he was up at Ibrox speaking with the owner and stuff. But to be honest, it kind of stopped when Danny left.
“I think once he'd gone, it didn't make as much sense for me. As much as I loved my time, I don't think it made as much sense for me to go back and start again afresh, especially at this point in my career when I just thought I needed to take another jump now. I needed to take another step, to push on to try and challenge myself.”
Under Rohl, Moore was a mainstay on the left flank for the Light Blues, notching six goals and three assists under the German. However, under his predecessor Russell Martin, who brought him to the club, the winger wasn’t able to register any goal contributions.
Moore takes accountability for ‘unacceptable’ performances under Martin
A poor run of results meant Martin lost his job by October last season, but Moore maintains a degree of sympathy for the 40-year old, describing his own performances as ‘unacceptable’ at times. He continued: “Russell Martin has got his structure and his way of playing but I really respect him as a guy. I get it didn't go the way he wanted at Rangers. But he brought me to the club and I thought he was a really good guy.
“He tried to help me but obviously I wasn't performing my best. Maybe there were times under Russell I wasn’t playing in the best, best position to get the most out of me. But I've got to take responsibility for the way I performed at that time. No matter where I am put on the pitch, the standards I set for myself stay the same and the way I was playing at that point was unacceptable.
“Even coming home, my dad said to me, ‘I never want to see you play like that again, no matter where you are.’ I was very poor for the first few weeks but I can't blame me not doing my technical basics on the position a manager is playing me in. So yeah, I could have maybe played in positions that suited me better but you're never going to set the tactics as a player. Russell put trust in me and he called me into a few meetings to try to help me — but I've got to take responsibility myself and say I should have been better. It’s down to me really.”
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