He netted the opener as his Brighton & Hove Albion side went on to win 2-0.
Irish midfielder/forward Andrew Moran has attracted serious attention from top clubs in recent weeks. His performance today in the u17 Premier League cup will do nothing to quell that interest.
The 17-year-old scored an unbelievable goal to open the scoring, expertly turning past his man on the half-way line before running towards goal and finishing cleverly into the bottom corner from just outside the box.
Marcus Ifill scored Brighton’s second in the 80th minute in what turned out to be the final goal of the contest. The Seagulls were then crowned u17 Premier League Cup winners.
Aside from his goal, Moran looked the best player on the pitch, demonstrating an outstanding touch and quick feet as well as an eye for a pass. Although he’s just 17, it already looks as though he has outgrown that level. His compatriots Evan Ferguson and James Furlong are regular fixtures in the Brighton u23 team and it looks like Moran may be on a similar trajectory.
The Dubliner previously played for Bray Wanderers and only signed for Brighton last summer, but he’s taken no time in adjusting to a new culture and change in level. Moran has a highly impressive 11 goals and 12 assists at u18 Premier League level this season, showing that he not only has an eye for goal, but also for a killer pass.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR ANDREW MORAN?
Although there’s plenty of interest in Moran’s services at the moment, he could be better served staying at Brighton for the time being.
As mentioned previously, it seems like Moran has really settled at the club. So a change in scenery may not be the best thing for his development at this stage.
Also, Brighton have shown that there’s a pathway to the first-team for young players in recent years. Robert Sanchez, Ben White and Aaron Connolly are just some examples of footballers who’ve progressed from underage to first-team level at the club.
It looks very likely that Moran will be promoted to the u23 team next season given his performances this season, so that should provide a new challenge for the 17-year-old.
Why can’t goals be a few inches bigger 😂🤬 #bhafc pic.twitter.com/xwI2vRCAYr
— Andrew Moran (@AndrewMorannn) MARCH 4, 2021
