Footballer: I got skin cancer from playing outdoors
A YOUNG footballer has had to quit the game after developing skin cancer following years of outdoor training.
Jordan Moore was a striker for Dundee United, then Limerick FC, until the Irish club released him in December.
Moore, 22, struggled to make an impact in the Limerick first team following his illness and is now considering a career in the police.
In the meantime he is leading the Stand Up To Cancer campaign in Scotland, a joint venture between Cancer Research UK and Channel 4.
It aims to highlight the fact that half of us will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in our lives.
Yesterday, Moore, of Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow, said: ‘Football has been my whole life, so moving on from that is incredibly tough. I went straight up to Dundee to train full-time as soon as I left school aged 16. I loved my time in Dundee, it’s a brilliant city to live in.
‘I trained every day, even on Christmas Day, and I’ve never had to think about another job until now. But there is so much more out there I can do. I want to help people, instead of concentrating just on football.’
Moore said when he was given his diagnosis, the doctor asked him if I was always out in the sun or had used sun beds. He added: ‘I’ve never used sun beds but I grew up playing football outside every day wearing no sunscreen, so my skin must have been exposed to the sun all those years. That’s why I believe it’s vital when kids are out training to make sure they’re wearing sunscreen.
‘I’m so proud to support Stand Up To Cancer and I want to encourage as many people as possible to join me and stand up to this devastating disease.
‘It’s important to try not to get too down about cancer but grab every chance you can to enjoy life.’
Moore’s parents, Gordon and Angela, are supporting the campaign. Mrs Moore, 48, said: ‘I was with Jordan when he was told he had cancer. We just never expected it. If I could, I’d have taken it all on myself instead of watching my son go through it.’