Tottenham loanee Mikey Moore says the success of Jadon Sancho and Jude Bellingham in the Bundesliga influenced his decision to join FC Koln.
The 19-year-old became the latest English talent to move to the German top flight after completing a season-long loan move to the RheinEnergieStadion last month.
Moore's move came almost a decade after a 17-year-old Sancho left Manchester City to join Borussia Dortmund.
During his time in Germany, Sancho established himself as one of Europe's most exciting wingers, making more than 150 appearances for Dortmund and helping the club win the DFB-Pokal in 2021. He subsequently secured a £73m move to Manchester United.
Bellingham followed a similar path in 2020, leaving boyhood club Birmingham City to join Dortmund. The midfielder quickly developed into one of the most sought-after players in world football before joining Real Madrid for an initial £88.5m in 2023.
Speaking on Thursday's Euro Leagues podcast - which will be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live at 21:00 BST - before Friday's Bundesliga match with Eintracht Frankfurt, Moore revealed that the success of his fellow Englishmen had inspired him to turn down offers from England in favour of a move to Germany.
"I think over the years you've seen so many young players come out here, and there are some really good examples of world-class players like Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho doing really well," Moore said.
"It's a really attractive place to play football, especially for a young attacker. It's a great platform to play, and that was sold to me by the people at the club and the manager.
"They've put real trust in me, and the amount of game time I've played so quickly in my Koln career has been nice. It's been good to have that trust from all the staff and people at the club.
"I'm already happy with my decision. Now I can really kick on, make my own story and build my own path in German football."
Although Moore only turned 19 in August, he is no stranger to stepping outside his comfort zone.
Last season, he made 47 appearances in all competitions, including the Champions League qualifying rounds, during a loan spell at Scottish Premiership side Rangers.
It was the first time Moore had left his boyhood club Tottenham, and he rose to the challenge, scoring six goals and providing two assists in 28 Scottish Premiership appearances.
The experience offered a different test to the one he now faces in Germany, but it provided valuable exposure to the demands of first-team football.
"I had options to stay in England and maybe stay somewhere a little more comfortable," Moore said.
"But the conversations came down to me picking a team, and I wanted to take myself a little bit out of my comfort zone to test myself in a big league and one of the top five leagues.
"When we were speaking, everyone said they thought it would be a really good experience for me to experience this type of football.
"It's really intense, and there are some great teams in the league.
"For me, it was a no-brainer. I made the decision early that I wanted to come out here, and now I just need to push on."
Kane has scored 154 goals for Bayern Munich since joining from Tottenhan in 2023 [Getty Images]
It has been a whirlwind few weeks for Moore since moving to Koln on transfer deadline day.
Having now found an apartment close to fellow England youth internationals Reigan Heskey and Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, who are also on loan at the club, the 19-year-old has turned his attention to learning German.
Moore had his first lesson this week and, at his mother's request, is hoping to expand his vocabulary in the language over the coming weeks.
"I wasn't the brightest at school, so I might take a while to learn the language," Moore joked. "But I think the more hours I put in, I'll pick it up at some point anyway.
"At least I'll be able to learn a few words so I can order my food or something in German."
Fortunately for the attacker, he will not have to rely solely on his German when Koln travel to face Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich next month.
The fixture will also give him the chance to reunite with Harry Kane, who was still at Tottenham when Moore was first invited to train with the senior squad during the 2021-22 season.
"He's been a massive idol of mine since I was really young. When I first went up to train with the first team under Antonio Conte, Harry Kane was over there, and I'd seen some finishing that I'd never seen anything like again," Moore recalled.
"It will be a great experience to play against him and share a pitch with him. I'm really looking forward to it."
Almost a decade after Sancho's move to the Bundesliga, it is Kane now flying the flag for England in Germany's top flight. Moore, meanwhile, is hoping to leave the Allianz Arena with a special memento of his own.
"I'll try my best to get my hands on that shirt," Moore said. "I saw him on the last international break, actually, and went and said hello. If I see him on the next one, if we're in the same place, I'm definitely going to say to him, 'Give me that shirt when we next play.'
"Hopefully, I'll be coming back to Koln with that in my hand."
