Moore happy to be home

Centennial High star joins Five Stripes after stint in Britain.

After four years playing soccer almost nonstop in England, Brendan Moore had a secret, but he felt comfortable telling only his parents.

He was coming home to Roswell to play for Atlanta United. His parents, understandably, were thrilled.

The rest of his large family found out through a news release from the team. He didn’t want to tell them in case the deal fell through.

“Everybody was pretty excited,” he said. The family celebrated with a dinner for 18 at a local restaurant.

If Moore, who was a standout at Centennial High before matriculating to the University of North Carolina, is as good at stopping shots as he is keeping secrets, Atlanta United may have found a hidden gem.

Moore thought that he would be in MLS soon after graduating from UNC. He was preparing to enter the MLS draft when he got a phone call about a trial at Oxford United in England. Moore’s mother is Swiss, and he has a Switzerland passport, which made the process of playing in Europe easier.

After appearing in a couple of Oxford’s reserves games, Moore said a few clubs in England asked him to interview. He signed with Fleetwood Town in England’s League One. He moved from that club on England’s northwest coast to Rochdale, where he made 10 appearances. In between he made 58 appearances on loan from Fleetwood with Torquay United in England’s National League. In 76 appearances, he had 26 clean sheets.

Moore said while in England, where the soccer season extends over 11 months, he learned how to deal with the grind of being a professional. When he was able to come home, it was just for two weeks in the summer. But he said he became a better goalkeeper because he developed his skills, including the ability to play with the ball at his feet. Moore said he thinks that he also is good in the air and a good shot-stopper.

Atlanta United goalkeepers coach Aron Hyde reached out to Moore to gauge his interest in joining the MLS champs. “My goal was to always come home,” Moore said. “I just didn’t know exactly when it would happen.”

Moore said the process of agreeing to a contract didn’t last long, and he moved back to Atlanta by mid-January.

He grew up immersed in the soccer scene in Atlanta. He started playing when he was 5 years old, following in the footsteps of an older brother and sister. He dropped baseball and other sports to focus exclusively on soccer when he was 12. He went to Silverbacks games when he was younger, before Atlanta United came into existence.

Moore said his expectations for the season are simple: learn as much as he can and hopefully get into the squad for a few games.

Because of the five-hour time difference between Atlanta and England, Moore said he didn’t get to watch too many of the Five Stripes games. He has yet to visit Mercedes-Benz Stadium but said he is excited to do so. And he figures he is going to get plenty of ticket requests from family.