'There's no point denying it' - Ange Postecoglou plays up Neymar comparisons as Mikey Moore comes of age for boyhood club Tottenham

Spurs defeated AZ Alkmaar 1-0 in the Europa League on Thursday, and 17-year-old Moore, who signed his first professional deal with the team in August, was the star of the show. He made only his second start for his boyhood side, and after the win, teammate James Maddison compared the winger to Brazilian great Neymar. Postecoglou then also talked about Maddison's comparison of the teenager.

Speaking to the media, Postecoglou said: "It’s pretty hard for me to keep a lid on it now, ain’t it? He was exciting. You cannot deny it. There is no point denying it.

"I love the way Mikey is taking it all in his stride, he works hard every day. He wants to develop, he understands that this is a journey. It’s very easy for a young guy like him, who has just turned 17, to feel like he has somehow made it, but you ever get that sense. It’s exciting, it is.

"You have got such a young player, who wants that responsibility to make an impact, rather than just sometimes with young players they are a bit worried about making mistakes. He is developing well. We have to be really careful about how we use him, and when we use him, that is the key for us, particularly in these early stages. I have no fear throwing him in, absolutely not. I know and I see it every day, he’s a great young player and definitely more to come."

Postecoglou announced on Friday afternoon during a press conference that owing to Son Heung-min's absence through injury, Moore could soon be given his first Premier League start. He said: "I think we all understand with young players, you have to be careful but after the game, I don't get the sense that that's going to affect Mikey at all. There's no denying he was great last night. I thought he was great the whole game. It's exciting for us.

"He's ready to start any game, I just feel, especially with younger players, you've just got to be really careful about their introduction into senior football. He's still physically growing, you have to take that into account so I think he's ready to play, and start a Premier League game for sure but for me it's about making sure, for us, that we develop Mikey in the right way."

Tottenham will be in action next when they travel to Crystal Palace on Sunday, October 27 and will be without captain Son. As such, Moore could get handed his first Premier League start.