Moore: My Jay is no liar

WEST BROM caretaker boss Darren Moore insists race row striker Jay Rodriguez is no liar.

Moore has urged Brighton’s Gaetan Bong to draw a line under an incident which saw Rodriguez (above) accused of making a racist comment .

The 28-year-old was cleared by an FA panel last week but Bong has refused to let the matter lie.

“My conscience is clear,” he said this week. “I know what I heard and I did not mishear.”

But Moore, a committed Christian and active Kick It Out campaigner, believes Rodriguez’s account. Moore said: “Instantly, after the game, we had a chat and he said, ‘Honestly, Mooro, I never said it’.

“I’ve known Jay a long, long time from when we were players at Barnsley.

“I know the person he is. I’ve given you a character reference, and he’s every bit that.

“Rest assured, what he said was right. I believe that.

“If there was any doubt there he wouldn’t have had the support from within the club.”

Rodriguez grabbed the winner in West Brom’s shock 1-0 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford last week.

Now he is looking for a repeat in today’s home game with Liverpool, when Moore hopes to wipe the smile off Reds boss Jurgen Klopp’s face.

Moore said: “Klopp is an excellent manager, a superb manager, an exciting manager and he’s a wonderful character with a wonderful smile.

“I hope he’s not smiling after the game.”