Moore quits Inver and joins Tech

Earlier this week, Moore explained why he had decided to seek his release from Inver Park. “I had a chat with the manager after training on Thursday night and I decided that it was time to go our separate ways,” he told the Times.

“I have been here for a few years and believed that I had been a first choice in the defence, then started to slip down the order through my own fault. I thought recently I had done enough to be in the team, but the manager thought differently.”

Having played in other positions Moore was asked if he should have kept his options opened: “I had played at right-back before but I always believed my best position was in the centre, which is my natural position and that is the position I was signed to play in.

“This was not a rush decision as I have taken my time to think about it. It will be hard as I am a local even though I took the long way round to get to Inver Park having started at Ballymena having been asked by Graham McConnell at the time to come to Larne when they were in the Premier Division and that is a decision I probably regret.”

He added: “I enjoyed the buzz around the time about football especially during times like last season’s Steel Cup run. I could have stayed and fought for my position but I thought the time was right to call it a day. I have had my chances to stake my claim in the starting line-up and I thought I had done enough but the boss thought differently.”

On the chances of a return to Larne in the future, he said: “No bridges have been burnt and the boss was good enough to explain his decision. I would return to Larne in a heartbeat but, for now, I think I have made the right choice.”

Report by John Gillespie and Paul Campbell