Via echo
David Moli dreamed of achieving Premier League greatness as he rose through the ranks of Liverpool's youth academy
Sharing a home with Raheem Sterling while crafting his trade on the field
At the age of 24, the promising poacher hung up his boots to pursue a career in art.
A decade in the past, Moli and Sterling shared a four-bed semi-detached in the heart of St Helens, living, training and playing together for The Reds
Moli said:
"I’d been at Luton and Raheem had been at Queens Park Rangers so we knew each other before we came to Liverpool. We were familiar faces. We clung together.
"Off the pitch, I was lonely and I think Raheem was too; his mum would come up to visit him but, if anything, I was even more homesick.
“We were put in the same school, Rainhill, which I didn’t enjoy at all because, when we went there, we didn’t know anybody.
"If we had free time, we would chill out together, go and watch a movie or hang out with the older guys like Andre Wisdom [now at Derby County].
“We were scholars, we got an allowance rather than wages but everything was laid on.
“If we needed to go to a training session, the club would lay on a car for us."
While Sterling would stick with Liverpool and go on to break into the first team in 2012, Moli would jump ship to Wolverhampton Wanderers with two years still left on his Merseyside contract. A move which he would later regret.
Moli added:
“I shouldn’t have left Liverpool. I left a month before my 17th birthday. Looking back, if I had stayed, I would have got the opportunities. I don’t even know why I went."
Injury would strike at Wolves when he split a muscle between his tibia and fibula, leaving him sidelined for eight months.
When his contract was up, Moli made the move to Boreham Wood, only for the injury to worsen.
And after a career plagued with injuries, Moli would hang up his boots at the age of just 24 -
Throughout his career, when sidelined with injuries, Moli would take up painting as a form of therapy.
He added: "I’ve always had an ability to put something creative on paper. When I was recovering from injury, it helped overcome depression.
"When you’re alone in your room, all you need is a canvas."
However, his passion would turn into a career after football, with the likes of Danny Batth, Raheem and Andre Gray all buying work from him
Moli said:
“Quite a few footballers have bought stuff. I’ve just done one for Jesse Lingard.
"Fred’s wife messaged me and commissioned me to do a piece for him for their anniversary.
“Luke Shaw’s missus ordered a piece for his birthday. She was surprised when I showed her a picture of Luke and I playing for England Under-16s together!"
Moli adding:
Trent has got three pieces. One was commissioned by a clothing brand and then he messaged me to say, ‘Thanks very much, can I have another two please?’
“So I ended up doing one of Biggie (Smalls) and one of The Joker for him. (Watford’s) Andre Gray and (former Cardiff City winger) Nathaniel Mendez-Laing have bought stuff too.
"All that support means a lot. Instagram has been massive in terms of helping to get my work out there a lot more."
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