The 18-year-old made his debut for French side RC Lens on Sunday inside the pressure cooker of a local derby against Lille in Ligue 1.
His maiden appearance at first team level capped a remarkable year for the centre-back. Twelve months ago he netted a penalty in the shoot-out victory as England Under-17s defeated Holland to win the European Championship.
The Walthamstow-born youngster, who made the move across the channel when aged only seven, has progressed into the U18s set-up with the Young Lions this season and netted his first international goal last month against Switzerland – but despite his impressive year he admitted his debut at Stade Pierre-Mauroy took him by surprise.
“I was supposed to be playing for the reserves against PSG on Saturday. I’d been training with the first-team all week because they had suffered so many injuries, and I’d done quite well actually, so the manager decided to put me in the squad for the Lille game.
Moore helped England U17s win the Euros last summer
“I thought I’d just be on the bench, but on Sunday morning he announced the team and I was right-back – a position I’d never played before in my life,” Moore exclusively told TheFA.com.
“I was a little bit stressed, but I kept calm as I knew I needed to stay composed and try to do my best even if it was a brand new position.
“I was really looking forward to it, I got a real buzz before the game and I was excited because it is a big derby.
“For the fans and the club, no matter what games go on in the season, this is the biggest one whatever happens.”
Unfortunately for Moore, his debut would not be a winning one, but he did enjoy one moment of joy by claiming an assist as Pablo Chavarria fired the visitors into a 25th-minute lead.
“The keeper threw the ball out to me and I had to jump to control it as it was quite high. Whilst it was bouncing after my touch, I could see three or four Lille players coming towards me, but I saw our forward making the run, so I played it through to him and he managed to meet it and take it on and score.
“I didn’t know what to do, I just ran around with my hands on my head looking at everyone. All my other defenders came over and were really happy, jumping all over me and screaming,” said Moore.
“It was 1-1 at half-time, and we were playing quite well in the second half, but they managed to get a scruffy goal to take the lead. Then in the last minute, we had a free-kick so I was left alone at the back. It was cleared and I suddenly had three men against just me. I managed to win the first header, but there was too many and they hit us on the counter really fast and ended up winning 3-1.”
Knowing a full house of his side’s rivals’ fans would be awaiting him and his team-mates prior to kick-off, Moore says that he fell back on some of his international experience to help him prepare.
Moore moved to France when he was seven
“It has definitely helped me. Even playing for England U18s this season, playing in front of big crowds for my country has prepared me. I think there were 14 or 15,000 at the European Championship Final last May.
“It was 55,000 inside Lille’s new stadium, so it was obviously a lot bigger and the atmosphere was unbelievable. Mentally you have to be prepared for something like that, and playing for England has definitely done that.”
Lens had their relegation fears confirmed last week as they prepare to return to the second tier of French football next season, but with the pressure now off, Moore is hoping to add more appearances to his tally before this campaign ends.
“We have three games left, and hopefully I’ve done enough to earn another chance - whether it is a full-back, centre-half or defensive midfield,” he added.
“There are a lot of injuries at the moment, so it is good for the youngsters like me. With relegation now confirmed, maybe the club think it is the right time to push through some of the youngsters.
“I definitely think I’m in the right place at the right time, so fingers crossed I can get a few more games under my belt before the end of the season.”
Lens host Montpellier at home next Sunday.
