Tragic death made David realise that life is too short
David Moyo never doubted that he should make the most of his fresh start at Hamilton Accies.
But the death of 25-year-old Matlock Town player, Jordan Sinnott, during a night out just reinforced his belief that facing Celtic today is an experience to be treasured.
The striker said: “We came across each other when he played for Altrincham and I was with Brackley, and we have a lot of mutual friends.
“There’s a lot of camaraderie among players at that level. We’re all going through the same thing – playing part-time and dreaming of going full-time.
“My mates have reached out to the family and made sure everyone is okay.
“Hearing about it makes you realise that life’s too short, and how you have to take days like today by the scruff of the neck and do your best.”
Moyo is delighted to be back in action after finally making a real breakthrough in Accies’ first team, only to immediately suffer a setback.
His first goal for the club – a winner against Motherwell – came in the last game before the winter break.
But he hit the net already suffering a broken thumb and the injury meant he’s spent the last few weeks in plaster.
He went on: “It’s been a tough one to take, since nothing else was wrong with me.
“I did it during the first 20 minutes, and I have no idea how. I just looked down and my hand was facing the wrong way.
“I thought it was dislocated, so I tried to push it back in and that didn’t work.
“At half-time, the physio said I’d need a scan. But I played the rest of the game.
“I was in agony. But adrenaline gets you through, and I scored the winning goal, so I can’t complain.”
Moyo, 25, started his career with Northampton Town and then embarked on a tour of English non-league clubs before arriving in Lanarkshire last summer.
He admits there have been times when it seemed football wasn’t going to provide him with the career he so badly wanted.
Moyo said: “I have had a lot of ups and downs and this feels like it’s an upward curve again. Hopefully, I can keep it there for as long as possible.
“I had points where I thought: ‘This is never going to happen’.
“I don’t know where I’d have ended up. I thought about doing loads of things – being a brickie, an electrician, you name a job, I’ll have thought: ‘That could be me…’.
“But ever since Hamilton got in touch with me, it has been great.”
His first start from Brian Rice’s side came during the game against Celtic at Parkhead in November – a night where it seemed Accies would claim a draw until Scott Brown hit a winner in added-on time.
Impressing against the Hoops today would do Moyo’s hopes of reviving his international career no harm.
He said: “I had played in front of a big crowd before, when I made my debut for Zimbabwe in Morocco in 2014.
“That was a great experience. But I was a lot younger and I didn’t really take it in. I’d love the chance to do it again.
“There are a few from the squad playing in the UK – Marvelous Nakamba is at Aston Villa and doing well.
“All I can do is keep doing what I’m doing, and hope they’re keeping tabs on the fact I’m playing at this level.”