KIEFFER MOORE today finally fulfils his dream to play at Wembley as he aims to complete a hat-trick of promotions to the Premier League.
The Sheffield United striker was cruelly robbed of the chance to tread the hallowed turf nine years ago.
Moore, now 32, had just helped Forest Green reach the National League play-off final beating Dover in the semi-finals but ruptured his appendix that night.
Forest Green lost and Grimsby went up to the EFL. But today’s prize is in another stratosphere with a potential £200MILLION Prem jackpot up for grabs.
Moore told SunSport: “It was devastating to miss that one.
“I had emergency surgery to take my appendix out but you go through adversity in your career and that experience further drove me on to succeed.
“And here I am at 32 with the chance to play at a packed-out Wembley.
“To get such a new experience in my career is something I’m going to love every minute of. I couldn’t be more excited.”
Moore is proof that if at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again.
The striker started his senior career with Truro in the National League South before moving to Dorchester and at 18 was signed by Yeovil, who had just been promoted to the Championship.
But after two relegations with the Glovers and a short spell with Viking in Norway, he was back in non-league at Forest Green.
He had further cracks at the Championship with Ipswich, Barnsley, Wigan and Cardiff before finally hitting the big-time at Bournemouth — scoring the winner against Nottingham Forest to seal the club a Prem return in second spot.
Moore scored on his Prem debut with the Cherries two days before his 30th birthday.
He said: “I’ve always believed I could play in the Premier League and it was a fantastic experience at Bournemouth.
“It was so special to score the goal that won promotion and then again on my top-flight debut having worked my entire life to get there.”
Moore, relegated with Ipswich in his first spell, returned on loan in the second half of last term and scored seven goals to help end their 22-year Prem exile.
He added: “I was desperate to show the Ipswich fans how much I’d improved.
“The whole atmosphere around the club was amazing, the fans really got onside and made every game special.
“I want another shot at the Prem and that’s why I came to Sheffield United, to get promoted and play at the top level.
“Coming from non-league gives you that chip on your shoulder where you always want to prove people wrong.”
Sheffield United signed Moore from Ipswich in July and were unlucky not to go up automatically.
They finished on 90 points — after having two deducted for defaulting on transfer payments — and were only kept out of the top two by Leeds and Burnley both hitting a staggering 100 points.
But three defeats in a week to Oxford, Millwall and Plymouth killed off their automatic promotion hopes in April.
Moore said: “Our season got defined by that bad week but we’ve accepted that and reset ourselves. We know what we’ve got to do.”
Lifelong Sheffield United fan Chris Wilder is looking to be the first Blades manager to earn three promotions at the club, getting them to the Championship in 2017 and Prem in 2019.
But he will have to end the club’s play-off curse, that currently stands at NINE failures.
Moore said: “He drums into you what it means to the fans, the city and everyone involved — it’s a privilege.”
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