Student Moore fired by Fahey rise

Midfielder Moore is currently lining out for UCD in the Premier Division here, the 21-year-old hoping to make his fifth appearance of the season for the Students away to league champions Bohemians tonight, a UCD side who have been dragged into the relegation zone after eight defeats in 11 games.

This time last year, Moore was on the payroll at the richest club in the world, Manchester City, aiming to follow the likes of Micah Richards and Stephen Ireland in going from the academy to the first team.

It didn't happen for Moore as he was released at the end of last season and, following an unsuccessful

trial at Hereford United, he came home to Dublin and signed for UCD. However, he had a keen eye on Ireland's Euro 2012 qualifiers in the last few days and he reckons that Fahey, Ireland's match-winning hero in Armenia seven days ago, is a role model.

"What's happened to Keith is an example to me, and to all the other young Irish players who play in England but are let go, that it can still happen for you, and I am still very ambitious," Moore said.

"A few years ago Keith was like a lot of players back home in Dublin and he didn't know where his career was going. But he got himself sorted at St Pats, did really well and got the rewards with the move to Birmingham and the call-up to the Ireland squad.

"I don't know if I'll get to play in the Premier League in England or get to play for Ireland but I know there is a chance, so I am determined to do well for UCD. I have signed for UCD until the end of the season so we'll see what happens after that but for now, my aim is to keep UCD in the division, anything else can wait.

"We're on a bit of a bad run at UCD now. We haven't won in a few weeks and we've had some tough times, losing to Sligo (0-4) and Shamrock Rovers (1-4) but we have been working hard in training to try and cut out our mistakes."

A product of Dublin nursery club St Kevin's Boys, Moore spent four seasons on the books at City, made good progress and at one stage was sent out on loan, to Millwall, to learn his trade.

"I trained a lot with the first team at City," says Moore. "I trained with them all the time when Stuart Pearce was in charge as we had a small squad. I did it a lot under Sven-Goran Eriksson, not as much under Mark Hughes but not at all under Roberto Mancini, and I think soon after he came in, the writing was on the wall for me. I realised that it wasn't going to happen for me at City when I went with the squad to Abu Dhabi for a friendly last year. It was the first team squad that travelled, the manager brought on a load of subs but I was left on the bench. So I knew then, if they were going to bring me half-way round the world and leave me on the bench for a friendly there was no way I was going to get into the team," he says.

"But I have had a brilliant time at UCD so far. We have a great bunch of lads and a great team spirit," he says. "Going to play Bohs away is a tough test for us. But we have no fears about going to Dalymount.

"The lads here told me they got a 0-0 draw away to Bohs earlier in the season and they could have won the game, so we know we can match them on our day.

"We're underdogs for this game so we'll see if we are good enough to match them," added Moore.