Life tough for ex-Man City winger Moore
OSLO - In an ideal world Karl Moore would have been welcoming Edin Dzeko to Manchester City on Saturday as the Bosnia striker prepares to make his Premier League debut.
However, as the club terminated the Irish winger's contract last year without giving him a single appearance in the senior team, the 22-year-old finds himself playing for his future in Oslo with a group of other out-of-contract professionals.
The international players' union organised a tournament in the Norwegian capital on Friday to showcase unaffiliated players from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Ireland.
Moore spent five years at Eastlands, three of those in Manchester City's senior squad, but he was released in June after missing much of last season with a persistent back injury.
Finding a new club has not been easy for the Dubliner, who has represented Ireland in under-17, under-19 and under-21 internationals.
A short spell with UCD in Ireland's top division failed to satisfy his ambitions and when the season ended in November, he turned to players' union FIFPro in the hope of securing another professional contract.
"You'd think with Manchester City on your CV you could at least get a trial at a club but they're not prepared to have me over, even if I pay my own flights," Moore told Reuters.
"It's difficult at the moment but I just have to get on with it."
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Dozens of scouts saw Moore and his countrymen lose narrowly to eventual winners Finland in the FIFPro tournament before beating Sweden to claim third place.
The winger's skills impressed many of the watching scouts and coaches, including Bjorne Thorgensen.
"Moore is definitely an interesting player and I will be recommending him to a club here in the second division," said Thorgensen, who works as an adviser for a number of Norwegian clubs.
But Moore should not get his hopes up too high said Stephen McGuinness, general secretary of the Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland (PFAI), since only one in four players who took part in previous FIFPro tournaments were offered contracts.
"That's the average but this is our (PFAI) first time here so if we got one contract offer for one player, we'd be happy," McGuinness said.
Moore has not lost faith in his own ability and he feels all he needs is a chance.
"You've just got to get your head down and stay on top of your game, and make people notice that you're a good player," the former Manchester City man added.
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