Midfielder can't wait to face his old club
Sammy Moore says that taking on Chelsea this Saturday holds special significance for him with the Premier League club having played a major part in his development.
It’s now just over a decade since Sammy was released by Chelsea, a decision that came just two years after they pulled out all the stops to sign him by paying compensation to Charlton Athletic for his services.
Despite leaving Chelsea at the age of just 16, Sammy believes that being at the Blues academy instilled a professionalism in him that has been invaluable during his career.
Speaking to Dons Player, Sammy said: “I learned a lot of my football when I was younger from my time at Chelsea. I was playing in a tournament for Charlton when Chelsea spotted me and they paid compensation to sign me. They really looked after me and my family at a young age and I cannot be thankful enough for the opportunity that they gave me. It did not work out but they made me the player I am today, especially with the technical side of the game that I learned during training sessions.
“During summer camps you would stay at the Chelsea village hotel and I can remember bumping into John Terry in a lift. He was a role model to all of us in the Chelsea academy and he’s gone on to have a great career. I’m very grateful to Chelsea and I’m really looking forward to the game on Saturday.”
Sammy, who is now AFC Wimbledon’s longest serving player after joining the club just over four years ago, says it’s the best Dons squad he’s been a part of – and he can’t wait for the season to begin.
“You look at the squad that the manager has assembled and it’s like a League 1 squad,” added Sammy. “It’s the best squad I’ve been involved with in my career. I’m very excited about the start of the season and so should the fans be. It’s been one of the hardest pre-seasons I’ve had, but it’s been all sessions with the ball. We’ve not been just running around the training ground and it’s been match-related stuff.
“The new boys have all settled in well. It’s nice to have that bit more quality in the squad and you can see that during the training sessions.”
Dons Player subscribers can watch the full video interview with Sammy Moore on our premium channel, along with an update from Neil Cox.