IT WILL BE a year to the day on Monday since Sean Moore joined Shelbourne from West Ham.
Having burst onto the scene with Cliftonville as a teenager, the winger signed for the Hammers in June 2023 at 17.
However, the intervening three years have not gone according to plan.
Moore failed to make a breakthrough in England, despite spending periods in and around West Ham’s first team.
At Shels too, his progress has been hampered by recurring injury issues.
Moore’s minutes have also been limited by competition from players like Will Jarvis and Harry Wood, though the latter’s departure to Stockport earlier this month could result in further opportunities.
The Belfast native made just two Premier Division appearances last year and was left out of their Uefa Conference League squad for the league phase in 2025.
Before Thursday night, the 20-year-old had not started a game this season – playing a total of 78 minutes across five top-flight fixtures.
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But in John Russell’s second game in charge, after making a rare starting XI appearance, Moore took his opportunity with two goals and an assist in the 5-2 Conference League first-leg win over Estonian side Nõmme Kalju.
The new manager has urged his side to press aggressively and play on the front foot, and Moore epitomised this approach with his early intensity.
Sean Moore's press pays off and Rodrigo Freitas scores his first Shels goal 👏 pic.twitter.com/tr0NjUEKKT
— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) July 24, 2026
Inside three minutes, the Ireland U21 international intercepted goalkeeper Henri Perk’s pass out from the back and laid it on a plate for Rodrigo Freitas to tap into the empty net.
“That’s the way the manager wanted us to play; he wants to come out of the blocks, he wants to be aggressive, get the crowd on their feet,” Moore said afterwards.
“The manager has come in, and he’s put a lot of confidence in boys. He’s boosted the group. I think now, obviously, with the result I got [on Thursday], [the team] scoring five goals in a European game, it gives us huge confidence going into every game.”
The player described the persistent hamstring injuries that have contributed to his slow start with the Reds as “frustrating”.
He added: “I came here with a reputation for what I’ve done up North, but I’ve got my head down, I’ve done my rehab, and I think I’m now back fully fit.
“You have very good physios and doctors in there at Shels, so they just give me the advice that I needed. I really wanted to push back as quickly as I could, but sometimes that doesn’t happen.”
If Shels can safely navigate the second leg in Estonia, a big occasion likely awaits.
Ajax’s 4-1 win away to Serbian side Vojvodina means they are on the verge of a place in the third qualifying round, where they will face either the Premier Division outfit or Nõmme Kalju.
It would almost certainly be the biggest game Moore has been involved in, but the youngster was keen to downplay this prospective encounter.
“You want to play the big teams in Europe, you want the big draws, but if we win next week, we’ll go play Ajax, and then we’ll just see from there. I assume we’ll have a good group and we’ll go there with a chance.”
Reflecting on his spell in England, Moore added: “I loved my time at West Ham, really enjoyed it. Probably at that time, I wasn’t good enough for the first team; I’ll be honest with you about that. But I am still young, still have a chance and still learning the trade.”
The former NI Football Writers’ Association Young Player of the Year also attracted headlines in 2023, when he switched his international allegiance from the North to the Republic of Ireland.
Moore has appeared several times at underage level since then, and is keen to add to his two caps with Jim Crawford’s U21 side.
“I want to play for Ireland, I want to play for my country. It’s a huge honour for me, so yes, hopefully I can just get playing, scoring more goals, and get the call-up. I missed a few camps now, to be sure [due to injuries and lack of minutes]. It’s probably been about a year and a half since I’ve been in.”
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The ex-West Ham starlet aiming to establish himself in Ireland
IT WILL BE a year to the day on Monday since Sean Moore joined Shelbourne from West Ham.
Having burst onto the scene with Cliftonville as a teenager, the winger signed for the Hammers in June 2023 at 17.
However, the intervening three years have not gone according to plan.
Moore failed to make a breakthrough in England, despite spending periods in and around West Ham’s first team.
At Shels too, his progress has been hampered by recurring injury issues.
Moore’s minutes have also been limited by competition from players like Will Jarvis and Harry Wood, though the latter’s departure to Stockport earlier this month could result in further opportunities.
The Belfast native made just two Premier Division appearances last year and was left out of their Uefa Conference League squad for the league phase in 2025.
Before Thursday night, the 20-year-old had not started a game this season – playing a total of 78 minutes across five top-flight fixtures.
But in John Russell’s second game in charge, after making a rare starting XI appearance, Moore took his opportunity with two goals and an assist in the 5-2 Conference League first-leg win over Estonian side Nõmme Kalju.
The new manager has urged his side to press aggressively and play on the front foot, and Moore epitomised this approach with his early intensity.
Inside three minutes, the Ireland U21 international intercepted goalkeeper Henri Perk’s pass out from the back and laid it on a plate for Rodrigo Freitas to tap into the empty net.
“That’s the way the manager wanted us to play; he wants to come out of the blocks, he wants to be aggressive, get the crowd on their feet,” Moore said afterwards.
“The manager has come in, and he’s put a lot of confidence in boys. He’s boosted the group. I think now, obviously, with the result I got [on Thursday], [the team] scoring five goals in a European game, it gives us huge confidence going into every game.”
The player described the persistent hamstring injuries that have contributed to his slow start with the Reds as “frustrating”.
He added: “I came here with a reputation for what I’ve done up North, but I’ve got my head down, I’ve done my rehab, and I think I’m now back fully fit.
“You have very good physios and doctors in there at Shels, so they just give me the advice that I needed. I really wanted to push back as quickly as I could, but sometimes that doesn’t happen.”
If Shels can safely navigate the second leg in Estonia, a big occasion likely awaits.
Ajax’s 4-1 win away to Serbian side Vojvodina means they are on the verge of a place in the third qualifying round, where they will face either the Premier Division outfit or Nõmme Kalju.
It would almost certainly be the biggest game Moore has been involved in, but the youngster was keen to downplay this prospective encounter.
“You want to play the big teams in Europe, you want the big draws, but if we win next week, we’ll go play Ajax, and then we’ll just see from there. I assume we’ll have a good group and we’ll go there with a chance.”
Reflecting on his spell in England, Moore added: “I loved my time at West Ham, really enjoyed it. Probably at that time, I wasn’t good enough for the first team; I’ll be honest with you about that. But I am still young, still have a chance and still learning the trade.”
The former NI Football Writers’ Association Young Player of the Year also attracted headlines in 2023, when he switched his international allegiance from the North to the Republic of Ireland.
Moore has appeared several times at underage level since then, and is keen to add to his two caps with Jim Crawford’s U21 side.
“I want to play for Ireland, I want to play for my country. It’s a huge honour for me, so yes, hopefully I can just get playing, scoring more goals, and get the call-up. I missed a few camps now, to be sure [due to injuries and lack of minutes]. It’s probably been about a year and a half since I’ve been in.”
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