The 18-year-old star is riding the crest of a young wave.
West Ham United may be underperforming right now, but the team has made great progress under David Moyes’ leadership, with the Scottish manager securing a third consecutive continental qualifying and winning the Europa Conference League last summer.
He is out of contract at the end of the season, and the current slump has raised new questions about his future, but what a story.
The former Everton manager had several successes, but one of the most notable was guiding Declan Rice’s ascension from the academy to first-team prominence, which coincided with the Irons’ ascendancy.
Rice, who was sold to Arsenal for £105 million in July, is one of Europe’s best midfielders, and West Ham would be thrilled to receive a fresh player of similar caliber.
It’s early days, but there could be a budding star in the club’s ranks worthy of such a title.
Sean Moore’s statistics for youth
The youngster in issue, Sean Moore, has been experiencing success at the youth level since signing
From NIFL Premiership side Cliftonville in the summer – a player with Irish roots like Rice.
According to Academy Manager Kenny Brown, the 18-year-old is a “dynamic, pacey winger” who has quickly won a place in the Hammers’ development team, bypassing U18 football.
Moore began his career as a bench player, but has now started five games in a row and has a healthy return of two goals and two assists. He has played in a variety of positions, including wide flanks, up front, and attacking midfield.
This builds on some excellent early efforts in Northern Ireland’s top division, as he scored five goals and supplied three assists in just 16 starts during the 2022/23 season.
Perhaps the Republic of Ireland U19 international isn’t ready for the senior squad, but if he continues to improve on some promising early performances, there’s no reason he can’t follow in Rice’s footsteps and rise to a prominent position in the squad, complete with all the makings of a Premier League star.
What has been said about Sean Moore?
Moore said that the initial transition to England was “tough”, but that he has since found his feet in east London, which is evident in his football.
Moore, who is fleet-footed, direct, and blessed with a ferocious strike, has garnered high praise, with former Cliftonville chairman Jim Boyce saying that he plays like “a young George Best” due to the level of his blossoming skill set.
Best, a Northern Irish winger, was once regarded as one of the finest players in the world, and his legacy continues to this day, with the 1968 Ballon d’Or winner scoring 157 goals and assisting 10 times in 416 games for Manchester United.
Sir Bobby Charlton once said that watching George [Best] play football was like “paradise,” with his transcendent dribbling talent and magical moments capturing the amazement of a generation.
Moore, clearly, has much work to do before such comparisons can be made, but it does speak to his raw ability, and there is a real sense that West Ham may have a true world-beater on their hands; he just needs to connect the dots and ply his trade with unwavering commitment and determination.
If he is successful in this endeavor, West Ham may discover that they already have Jarrod Bowen’s ideal successor at the London Stadium, with Moore’s inswinging ability and natural eye for goal making him an ideal candidate to take over Bowens’ duties.
The England international joined West Ham from Championship club Hull City for £22 million on January deadline day in 2020, only one month after Moyes’ re-appointment, following some sparkling success in the second tier.
Since signing, the 27-year-old has gone from strength to strength, collecting 54 goals and 36 assists for the club in 189 games and scoring the winning goal as his team defeated Fiorentina in the Conference League final last June.
Bowen has 14 goals in all competitions for Moyes’ side this season, and he has emerged as one of English football’s main attacking players, with a dynamism and positional ease similar to Moore’s, albeit far more honed and hardened in its professional level.
To be honest, Moore still has a long way to go before he is deserving of a regular berth in the West Ham first team, but the signs are positive, and if he continues to progress over the next year or so, he may find himself causing a stir.
Moore is nothing if he is not determined, and with the Young Irons presently second in the Premier League 2, he is certainly in the perfect environment to achieve his goals, competing at one of the country’s best academies.
Rice is currently United’s cream of the crop, having stormed onto the scene, conquered and left a hero, silverware in the cabinet, and an astronomical transfer fee to prove his worth, but give Moore some time, and he may well climb to the fore in a few years.
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