'I played with Raheem Sterling at Liverpool – I changed careers and now I'm an artist'

David Moli was once a major prospect in the Liverpool academy, playing with some of the club's biggest players, until he hung up his boots at just 24

Former Liverpool youth player David Moli has traded his football boots for paintbrushes and become an artist.

At the age of 24, Moli decided to call time on his career, despite having started life on the pitch alongside Raheem Sterling in Liverpool's academy. While Sterling made it to Liverpool 's first team in 2012, Moli moved to Wolves, ditching two years on his Reds contract- a decision he would later regret.

During his time at Molineux, the centre forward suffered a severe injury that split a muscle between his tibia and fibula, sidelining him for eight months. After recovering, Moli joined Hayes and Yeading in non-league but was hit again when the injury resurfaced.

He then had stints at clubs like Epinal in France, Stormil Olszytn in Poland and Estonia's Parnu Vaprus. However, while at Parnu Vaprus, Moli tore his ACL during training, adding to his injury woes.

These recurring injuries eventually led to his early retirement at a time when many players are hitting their stride. The football-shaped hole in Moli's life didn't stay empty for long however, as he swiftly made a name for himself in the art world, as per the Liverpool Echo.

Speaking to The Times back in 2019, he said: "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."

Since then, Moli's artistic journey has flourished spectacularly. His creations aren't just fetching thousands but are also becoming the must-have decor for football's elite, and In a candid chat with The Athletic in 2020, Moli revealed the identites of some of his star-studded clientele.

"Quite a few footballers have bought stuff," he said." 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."

"Trent (Alexander-Arnold) 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."

Sterling, on the other hand, who shared a four-bedroom semi-detached house in St Helens with Moli during their Liverpool days, has thrived on the pitch for both the Reds, Manchester City and now Arsenal. After his £49million move to the Etihad, Sterling scored 91 goals in 225 appearances for the Sky Blues before making a switch to Chelsea in 2022. He then moved to Arsenal this summer on loan.

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