Cologne English trio Mikey Moore, Jahmai-Simpson-Pusey and Reigan Heskey make Bundesliga history
Despite suffering a 4-1 defeat away to VfB Stuttgart on Friday evening, Cologne still made history, becoming the first Bundesliga side ever to have three Englishmen — Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, Mikey Moore and Reigan Heskey — on the pitch at the same time.
This may come as somewhat of a surprise, given the influx of English talent arriving to the Bundesliga in recent years, with the likes of Harry Kane and Eric Dier lining up alongside one another for Bayern Munich, as well as Borussia Dortmund’s quartet of Bellinghams Jobe and Jude, Jamie Gittens and Jadon Sancho, to which Die Schwarzgelben have also just added England U19 star Ethan Nwaneri on loan from English champions Arsenal.
Nevertheless, Cologne’s Matchday 2 defeat on the road in Stuttgart was the first time a trio of English nationals have shared the pitch for the same side in the Bundesliga.
Simpson-Pusey was the only starter, playing the full 90 from the heart of the Billy Goats’ defence, but after trailing 1-0 at half-time, Tottenham Hotspur loanee Moore was introduced at the interval.
The 19-year-old seriously impressed on his debut, introducing fresh attacking impetus for Cologne, who looked a much bigger threat going forward in the second half thanks to Moore’s direct running, dribbling aptitude in one-against-one situations, and willingness to shoot, registering the most shots of any Cologne player at full-time (two).
Head coach René Wagner heaped praise on the youngster’s performance after the game, saying of his winger, “he changed the game and seized the moments […] He always wants the ball, he’s always active, and he finds solutions going forward.”
It was an assessment of Moore’s performance with which Cologne sporting director Thomas Kessler also concurred, as he put it simply: “It’s not exactly a surprise to us that he’s so good”.
Completing the trio was Heskey, who came off the bench at the 75-minute mark and – like Moore – showed very promising signs for supporters of the Billy Goats.
The former Manchester City academy starlet immediately made an impact, playing a big part in the build-up to Cologne’s only goal of the evening. The No.11 combined with Moore, whom he sent to the byline, before Moore’s cutback was turned into his own net by Stuttgart defender Ramon Hendriks.
As such, despite the comprehensive margin of defeat at the final whistle, Cologne fans have every reason to be excited this season, largely due to their young, record-breaking English trio.
