Sean Moore: Dramatic rise of 'late bloomer' teen who could follow Whyte and Dallas

Sean Moore made his Cliftonville debut last January as a 16-year-old

Gerard Lyttle has played the long game with 17-year-old Cliftonville sensation Sean Moore, and long may it continue as far as he is concerned.

"Late bloomer" might seem like a surprising tag for a teenager who has just broken into the first team on a regular basis, but that is how Lyttle - fully immersed in Northern Ireland youth football - describes a player whose development he has watched closely for almost two years.

Moore, whose Cliftonville side host Irish Premiership holders Linfield in a vital league meeting on Tuesday, has quickly become one of the Irish Premiership's hottest prospects with his swashbuckling displays on the wing for the Reds, scoring two and creating two while starting the past five matches.

However, it was as a left-back 18 months ago that Northern Ireland Under-17 and U19 manager Lyttle first encountered him. He chose not to select him for an U17 Euros qualification campaign, with Moore's response to that setback being one of the traits that has impressed Lyttle most.

"As a left-back, we just didn't feel at that stage that Sean was ready physically and, if we pick a player that we don't think is ready, it could potentially ruin them," Lyttle explained.

"We have to be patient, monitor and make sure the time is right when we bring them back in. That's what we have done with Sean, watched his progress since he left, spoken to his coaches and the feedback has all been positive.

"How a player responds to not getting picked at a young age tells us an awful lot about them. Some throw the head up or crumble but those that don't tend to be the ones that go on to have a really good career. Sean is one of those players and clearly has character about him."

'I'd like him to stay at Cliftonville'

Moore, who only turned 17 last summer, did get a call from Lyttle in November, when he was selected in an U18 squad for two friendly matches - and he showed the international manager how much he has developed.

"We played Sean as an attacking left wing-back in a 3-5-2 formation and he did really well," Lyttle continued.

"We then changed and played him off the front man, to see if he could adapt, and he managed to cause the Austrians some bother with his directness and his pace. It was almost a free role where he could pick up little pockets of space.

"He has got that pace about him, with a drop of the shoulder and a trick to get away from players. I've played with and coached a lot of players that never understood how best to use their pace, but Sean does. He faces defenders up and goes at them. That gets fans out of their seats."

Despite having only made nine starts and just 21 appearances in total for Cliftonville after making his debut in an Irish Cup tie last January, speculation has already mounted over the possibility of Moore moving to England or Scotland.

Manager Paddy McLaughlin has said he does not think the teenager will leave during January and Lyttle feels strongly that learning his trade in the Irish League for a longer spell is the best pathway for his career at this stage.

"There is still a lot of development for Sean to do, he is not the finished article and I personally would like him to stay where he is until the end of the season, to continue playing men's football at the level he is at.

"That will help his development more rather than going away now and maybe playing under-18 football or academy football. If a club does come in now, then he could maybe stay at Cliftonville on loan until the summer."

Coates challenges Moore to follow Whyte and Dallas

Gavin Whyte left Crusaders for Oxford United in 2019 and is currently at Cardiff City

The Irish League has become more and more of a happy hunting ground for English and Scottish clubs over the past decade, with a number of players establishing themselves in the top flight before earning moves.

Moore's current team-mate Colin Coates watched two - Stuart Dallas and Gavin Whyte - develop during his long and successful spell at Crusaders, and believes the similarities between Moore and Cardiff City winger Whyte in particular are striking.

"Sean and Gavin both look like they just love playing football, they are not really interested in anything else," he said.

"A big thing is that you can talk to Sean and he will listen, you can say to him that he should try this or try that. The key for me with players like Gavin Whyte and Stuart Dallas was their attitude. They didn't come in and think they were the finished article or better than everybody else.

"They wanted to listen to everyone around them and get better. Sean is very much like those two in personality and in terms of wanting to absorb everything around him.

"Sean is quiet but I remember being 17 and, while people might find it hard to believe, I was quiet myself at that age. I always think that is a good thing about young players when they first come in and are quiet, because it shows that they respect the changing room, and are aware of where they are at in the game. That said, Sean has grown in confidence around the lads and doesn't mind embarrassing old men like me in training."

Before getting their moves to England, Dallas and Whyte both won the Irish Premiership's player of the year award - and, while stressing that he does not want to advise Moore too strongly, Coates has challenged his young team-mate to remain at Cliftonville and reach similar heights.

"Gavin came in around the same age and he really energised our Crusaders squad. He went on to become the best player in the Irish League, after Stuart did the same before him, and scored so many goals from the wing in his final season that he just had to go on to the next level. That is the standard Sean should want to get to.

"Sean will want to add goals to his game now, which he has started to do in the last few weeks. I think the biggest compliment I can pay Sean Moore is that Gavin Whyte comes into your head when you see him play. If he can go on to do what Gavin has done then it would be brilliant for Cliftonville and him.

"For now, it is just a case of keeping the performances going. There will probably be a dip and a setback at some stage, but he has good people around him who will help bring him back."

And, as we know, Moore knows how to respond to a setback.