Underdog role an ideal fit for new midfielder Moore
She embraces idea of being on a building team
PRIDE
Orlando Pride midfielder Jade Moore isn’t afraid of a challenge. In fact, it’s the reason she’s moving to Orlando this season.
Moore’s decision to sign with the Pride this year marks the first time she’s played outside of an English league. It was a move she’d been eyeing the past few seasons.
But this year everything lined up. Her contract with Reading was expiring when coach Marc Skinner originally pitched that she join his squad during his second year in the NWSL.
For Moore, the most appealing aspect of signing with the Pride was the idea of joining a group hungry to redefine itself after a frustrating 2019 season.
“I love to be an underdog,” Moore said. “If you look at all of my previous football clubs, they’ve never been the top-tier teams. They’ve always been the ones that are striving to be better and wanting to be the nuisance of the league.”
To Skinner, Moore offers an edge that the Pride needed throughout last season. He noted that Moore comes from northern England — Worksop, which is just outside Sheffield — and that gives her play a gritty quality.
Adding Moore fit into Skinner’s offseason strategy for the team, which also included adding defenders Emily Sonnett and Ali Riley. The coach said she’ll be have an especially strong impact in transition, a problem area for the Pride last season.
“She has an aggression that’s kind of unmatched,” Skinner said. “We spoke often last year about the soft belly to Orlando. We’re trying to make sure that we put a six-pack on that underbelly.
Moore and Skinner have known each other for years, but this will be the first time they’ve worked together.
The pair met at Solihull College — Moore was working as the school’s sports therapist, Skinner was coaching the men’s side. They became closer through Skinner’s partner, Laura Bassett, who was a teammate throughout Moore’s time with Birmingham City and the England national team.
Although she hasn’t played under Skinner before, Moore trusts his ability to offer her a challenge in the new league.
“Everything I’ve ever heard and seen of him is that he’s always been a bit of a maverick,” Moore said. “He’s always tried to do things differently and he’s always come across as a very nice guy. I’m coming into this as more of a friend toward him, so I’m looking forward to changing that relationship one.”
A longtime member of the England national team, Moore had been on Skinner’s radar for a while. Moore has played in the midfield for the Lionesses since 2012, earning 50 caps and playing in two FIFA World Cups during that time.
To Skinner, Moore offers more than statistics can reflect. He said she’ll bring a consistency as a defensive midfielder.
“I always thought Jade is one of the unsung heroes of wherever she played,” Skinner said. “She gives so much that you couldn’t see those little nuances.”
Skinner also used a slightly less conventional tactic to recruit Moore: golf.
Moore picked up golf several years ago, and quickly took to the sport. At first, however, it wasn’t the easiest hobby.
Moore’s father was a golf instructor, but she didn’t grow up playing the sport besides hitting balls in her backyard. Now, however, she golfs regularly, enjoying the time she can spend outside staying active while distracting herself from the outside world.
So when Skinner was pitching the city of Orlando to Moore, he made sure to mention the fact that courses are plentiful throughout the state. That will be a welcome comfort for Moore, who knows she’s in for a major change when she moves out of England
into a
professional for the first time.
“I think it’s probably going to be a shock for me because I’m the most English person that you can meet,” Moore said. “I prefer to play in the rain and the snow than the heat. So it’s definitely going to be a massive shock to my system.”
During the coronavirus pandemic shutdown of training, Moore focused on running and endurance to prepare for the physicality of the NWSL. She’s also taking on an equally difficult challenge: getting to know a whole team through video calls and a group chat.
Before joining the Pride, Moore only knew her new teammates as opponents. She faced midfielder Claire Emslie in the FA WSL last season when the winger still played for Manchester City, and she’s played against many others on the international stage.
But Moore is eager to become integrated into the group. When she signed with the Pride, Moore felt she was investing in a team and club focused on building a fresh foundation.
“I think that opportunity of being where Orlando [is] at this year coming into this season and getting to where they want to get to — that’s a challenge in itself,” Moore said. “That’s something that really made me sort of look at them and say, ‘That’s a journey I want to be part of.’ I want to go into something that I can help build.”