Shaq Moore extends contract with Tenerife

CD Tenerife announced the extension of Shaq Moore’s contract for an additional two seasons. The American international’s previous deal ran through June of 2022. Last summer, he transferred to the Canary Islands based club from Levante.

“I am very happy for this new opportunity offered by CD Tenerife,” Moore told the club’s official website. “I want to continue growing in the world of soccer, and I’m delighted to be able to do it with the club…. Everything comes with work and effort, and now the motivation will be ever greater, if possible, to respond and return the trust they have placed in me.”

Moore has been a regular in the starting lineup since the appointment of manager Rubén Baraja, who replaced Aritz López Garai in November. He’s made 15 appearances in the league and four in the Copa del Rey.

At 12^th place in the Segunda División, CD Tenerife appears safe from relegation. Spanish clubs recently returned to training following the suspension of matches in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tenerife, due to the club’s distant island location, has an interesting challenge if and when matches resume. Sporting Director Juan Carlos Cordero reportedly requested morning matches and a tighter flight schedule in order to reduce time spent in hotels. However, he stressed these measures would take a toll on Canarian clubs and necessitate “a more artificial”, mistake limiting playing strategy.

Moore moved to Europe in 2014 to join the Huracán Valencia academy, but left when the club “was expelled because of financial irregularities” and eventually folded. In addition to his three-year spell with Levante (spent mostly with the reserves, although he featured in a widely discussed fixture against Barcelona), the 23-year-old right back played for Oviedo B and experienced a disastrous loan with Reus that resulted in him leaving the club after not being paid. He has made five appearances with the U.S. senior national team, all of which came in 2018 under interim manager David Sarachan. Now that Moore has consistent playing time and long-term security with an established club, he can focus on returning to La Liga and earning a spot in Gregg Berhalter’s rotation.