Eagle-eyed viewers of womenB次元官网网址檚 professional soccer may have noticed a new name crop up on the team sheet for West Ham over the past couple of weeks.

Esquimalt-born goalkeeper Emily Moore made her first appearance on the substituteB次元官网网址檚 bench on Jan. 16 when West Ham United FC played Tottenham in EnglandB次元官网网址檚 FA WomenB次元官网网址檚 Super League competition and has since been listed among the substitutes two more times.

While itB次元官网网址檚 been a journey to get to where she is, she found out very quickly she would be signed to the team. The Tottenham game was on a Sunday. Moore received an email the previous Monday asking if she could be on the bench for the game, filling in for a goalie who was away playing international soccer. Without question, she said B次元官网网址榶es,B次元官网网址� then had 48 hours to pack her stuff and get on a flight to England. She arrived late Thursday, trained with the team on Friday and was on the team sheet on Sunday.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been a pretty crazy couple of weeks,B次元官网网址� Moore said. B次元官网网址淚 feel like IB次元官网网址檝e just started to realize now that IB次元官网网址檓 technically a professional athlete.B次元官网网址�

Moore had trained with the team for several weeks during their pre-season in July and August, but returned to the University of British Columbia B次元官网网址� with whom sheB次元官网网址檚 won a U Sport National Championship and made the all-star team B次元官网网址� to finish her degree in visual arts, graduating in December. It was an alumnus at UBC who recommended West Ham reach out to Moore.

After the summer training Moore was told the team would reach out to her again in January, but she didnB次元官网网址檛 know whether the call would come. In anticipation, MooreB次元官网网址檚 mom, Kerri, helped her apply for an ancestry visa to the UK B次元官网网址� her grandfather is British B次元官网网址� in the hopes she would get the call.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e proud sheB次元官网网址檚 getting where she wants to go,B次元官网网址� Kerri said.

Moore first started playing goal at age 12 for the Gorge Soccer Association. B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e that young youB次元官网网址檙e just trying to get them out and exercise and make new friends B次元官网网址� We didnB次元官网网址檛 think sheB次元官网网址檇 make it to this level, but any opportunity she got she wanted to keep going.B次元官网网址�

Now that Moore is in a professional environment, sheB次元官网网址檚 eager to prove she belongs.

B次元官网网址淚 always felt like IB次元官网网址檝e had to really show what I can do and prove myself on the field, because itB次元官网网址檚 a lot of unknowns B次元官网网址� I feel itB次元官网网址檚 kind of a crazy thing that I came from like a small club like Gorge,B次元官网网址� she said.

Her contract runs until the end of West HamB次元官网网址檚 season in May; she hopes thereB次元官网网址檒l be another contract after that, either with West Ham or another club in England.

B次元官网网址淢y main goal is to become the best I can be in professional sport, and all the other things will come along with that.B次元官网网址�

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