Sport

Cliftonville youngster Sean Moore makes West Ham move

The Republic of Ireland U-19 star is east London bound.
The Republic of Ireland U-19 star is east London bound.

Republic of Ireland U-19 winger Sean Moore has completed a move from Cliftonville to Premier League side West Ham.

The 17-year old makes the switch having played 31 times for Cliftonville last season, scoring five goals.

Moore will initially join the club's U-21 side, and has signed a 3-year professional contract. 

The talented youngster hails from Belfast, and had played for Northern Ireland at underage level, before pledging his allegiance to the Republic earlier this year.

He made his U-19 Ireland debut in a clash with Greece back in March.

The fee agreed between the Solitude-based outfit and David Moyes' charges remains undisclosed, but is expected to be around £170,000.

The winger was optimistic about the future in store for his new team:

“I am absolutely delighted to join West Ham. It’s a massive club, so it was an easy decision for me.

“Last year, West Ham won the FA Youth Cup, and the first team also won the UEFA Europa Conference League, which was a brilliant achievement.

“It’s clear there’s a pathway to the first team from the Academy as well, which is important for young players such as myself. I would love to play for the first team one day.

“I’m hoping to make a good impression when I start with the U21s and hopefully do very well in east London.”

The manager of West Ham's academy, Kenny Brown, made it clear that Moore will be a part of his plans.

“Sean is a dynamic, pacey winger who we have been monitoring over the past couple of years and one we believe has a really bright future in east London.

"Sean has been a prominent player for Cliftonville in Northern Ireland, and having just finished a successful season with them, we are excited to have him join our U21 squad here at Rush Green.

“We are all looking forward to working with him at West Ham United, a place we all know will give him the best opportunity to develop as a footballer and hopefully reach his full potential.”

Moore will join Northern Ireland underage internationals Callum Marshall, Patrick Kelly, Michael Forbes, and Josh Briggs at the Olympic Stadium.