England Under 17s got their European Championship campaign off to the best possible start, with Tottenham wonderkid Mikey Moore scoring inside 81 seconds to lead them to a 4-0 victory over France.

The Young Lions, captained by Greg Lincoln, played their first game of the tournament in Cyprus on Tuesday night, with Spain and Portugal in Group D.

Moore, 16, opened the scoring in the second minute when he headed home Leo Shahar’s cross.

Baylee Dipepa, a Port Vale player, scored two minutes later, before Moore added his second and England’s third with a magnificent individual run and finish before halftime.

Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri, who became the Premier League’s youngest player at 15 years and 181 days when he faced Brentford in September 2022, added a fourth early in the second half as England cruised to victory.
Moore is expected to rise through the ranks at Spurs, and he has sparked interest from several prominent European clubs.

However, in June 2023, he committed his future to the club by signing a deal to progress from scholarship to schoolboy forms, followed by a professional contract when he is 17.

He has been training with Ange Postecoglou’s club on a regular basis this year and earned his first-team debut in the dying minutes of last week’s game against Manchester City.

Moore then came off the bench again in Spurs’ 3-0 victory over Sheffield United on Sunday, replacing James Maddison both times.

Moore, in fact, appeared to be England’s brightest star, lining up on the left side of central midfield and causing issues for France throughout the game.

Several more starlets were in England’s XI, including Manchester United’s Jack Fletcher, the son of former Red Devils star Darren, as the Young Lions began their campaign on a high note.

Meanwhile, before Moore made his Tottenham debut, Postecoglou praised the winger and expressed his optimism about his potential.

‘Mikey Moore has been a great trainer for us. Look, he’s a very talented boy, and I’m rooting for him,” he explained.

‘The reports I’ve received on him have always been fantastic. He hasn’t appeared out of place, which is excellent for him.

Portugal defeated Spain 2-1 in the other game in England’s group, and the Young Lions will face Portugal on Friday night.