'I needed paracetamol after': Darren Moore on his final bow at Wellington Amateurs
Darren Moore’s professional career spanned eight clubs, over 600 games and four promotions to the Premier League.
It took in some of the biggest grounds in the country before coming to an end in 2012 with Burton Albion – and Moore went on to pursue his coaching career with West Brom. But that wasn’t the end of his playing days.
Moore’s career in fact ended with West Midlands side Wellington Amateurs a few months after his last professional display. And the former Albion cult hero has recalled his one-game stint with the semi-professional outfit and how it came around at the request of an old friend.
Amateurs were looking to get to a final and Richard Brown, who has recently left his position at Market Drayton Town, called on his friend and former professional Moore to get his side over the line. Speaking on an episode of the Express & Star podcast the Baggies Broadcast, Moore recalled his one-game stint in Shropshire and a few things put him off making it two appearances
He said: “I wanted to go into coaching and took the opportunity to finish my career early.
“I almost signed for Mansfield but that didn’t happen and I took a role at West Brom coaching. Then an old mate of mine Richard Brown, who I played with in Sunday league when I was about 10, was manager of Wellington Amateurs.
“I had known Browny and his parents since I was young. He was trying to fit into a final and he rang me and said, ‘Daz please come and play’, and he kept on at me, saying he wanted me to help him get to the final. So I signed for them and what an experience it was!
“The other side a couple of Wolves fans up front who said they were going to score against me, so that was the only fuel I needed to get the better of them.
“We did get to the final, but I said to Browny that I’d had enough!
“The arguing and bickering at the ref, goodness me, I needed a few paracetamol after the game! It was great for them, and that was when it finished.”
It wasn’t the first time Moore had been linked with a move to Shropshire later in his career.
Following his Burton Albion days, Moore revealed how he came close to penning a deal with Telford – prior to his move into coaching.
“Telford were one of the clubs to come in, with Mansfield and Tamworth,” said Moore. “I thought about it, but I was looking at it and I could go to Wolverhampton University to finish my degree and then it came full circle with the under-18s job at West Brom, and that was excellent to go back to the club and into management.”
