He came to Spain looking for a life and Huracan, a team that has now disappeared from the elite, gave him the opportunity in Torrent. Shaq Moore is now an international with the USA, plays in the MLS and has returned to Valencia to visit his brother, who is following in his footsteps in an international program with Levante. Shaq returned to San Gregorio, the field that saw him make his debut in Spain and spoke to MARCA. His memories, soccer in MLS, the arrival of Messi, the strength of Pochettino…
What memories come to mind when you step on this field?
“I have very good memories of my time in Spain, my debut was something very nice with Raul Garrido. It was a dream come true, I am very grateful to be here in Torrent again. It was ten years ago and all the memories come back to me of the field, the dressing room, the people…
I am told that you came to see your brother…
“My brother is playing in an international programme with Levante. He follows my path and knows that it is not going to be easy. I have come to see him and support him and help him in whatever he needs. I hope he is better than me. He is a centre forward and he is going to score many more goals than me,” he said.
How did you get to Spain?
“I always wanted to play in Europe and the option came up to fly to Spain and play for Huracan, which was a humble club. I knew I wasn’t going to a big team, but it was important to start and get my feet wet and my idea was to work and get to the top one day. I was playing with the U.S. U-17 national team in Spain and there were several scouts and they were interested in me.
You gradually grew up until you returned to the U.S.
I never knew if I was going to get to the elite or be the best. But I knew that I had to work with a lot of patience and little by little I would grow. In the end I have been through many teams (Levante, Oviedo, Tenerife…). They are all experiences and you learn good and bad things. You learn from the coaches, from the teammates. I was a kid from the USA and they helped me a lot. I remember when I made my debut in the first team of Levante and how my teammates made things easier for me. When he comes back to Spain to visit, they always have a lot of affection for me. I am very grateful for that, I treat everyone as if they were lifelong friends.
Would you like to return to Spain, to LaLiga?
“I have a contract in the US, it has been a complicated year, but I have my mind set on the US and I will continue there.”
Tell me about your Foundation…
I have a foundation, the Shaq Moore Foundation, and we help people and children with sport. We help people with fewer resources and we always help in whatever way we can. I always wanted to help because I also went through that situation when I was a child, we were not a family with money, and I always said that if I could help people, I would do it.
Has Messi’s arrival in MLS been that impactful?
“La Liga is better than ever. We have a new coach and everything requires its process. We are going to have a good preseason and things are going to go well. The arrival of Messi has changed everything. They are world-class players, that makes everyone grow. Playing against him is a challenge for everyone, for veterans and for young players.”
Now everyone is looking at MLS
There are many European clubs that are now buying MLS players and also because the World Cup is coming and soccer in the US is growing a lot. It’s the place to be. The sport is growing. There will be a lot of players coming in from this summer. We are also going to have the Club World Cup and that is key for the fans.
I ask you about the USMNT. You have a new coach… and a good one.
“Pochettino is an experienced coach. He has coached very big teams. We are going to raise the intensity and there is a lot of respect towards the new coach. We are going to start from scratch. It’s better for everyone. We have to compete against the big teams and instil a winning mentality.”
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