Who is David Moli? Meet the former Liverpool striker who quit football at 24 and has become Premier League stars' artist of choice
Liverpool academy product David Moli has had an interesting career turnaround. The 28-year-old, having quit his pursuit of professional football at the age of 24 due to injuries, has now become a household name among Premier League stars for his paintings.
Moli, who joined Liverpool's academy at the age of 14, lived with Chelsea star Raheem Sterling during his playing days. Now, his artwork is featured in the Chelsea star's home, as well as those of Jack Grealish and Reece James and others.
Speaking about his career switch, Moli told the Mirror:
"Sothebys, Christie’s, they are the places I want to be, they are the goals I want to achieve. I have done great so far, but the goals I have are much bigger, to work with the big companies, Nike, Lamborghini, Ferrari, whoever. I’m absolutely as passionate about this as I was about football."
He added:
"It’s the same passion I had but this isn’t just a half-a-day thing, it’s 24 hours a day. I’d go into training, then go home and not think about it. With this, every single day I’m thinking about it, ‘What can I create next, what can I do next?’"
Moli, who was born in DR Congo but grew up in Luton, said that footballers normally just want a picture of a significant moment from their careers.
"With Jack Grealish, we did a picture of when he scored his first goal for City. When Tammy contacted me, that was a nice surprise. Fikayo Tomori and Antonio Rudiger was a good one. With Antonio, I did a portrait of him winning the Champions League and then one for him and his family,” he added.
After exiting Liverpool's youth setup in 2011-12, Moli went on to play for different clubs across England's lower tiers.
Liverpool make approach for Real Madrid midfielder
Liverpool have shown an interest in signing Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni. According to Catalan outlet El Nacional, the Reds are looking to make an offer of €55 million for the Frenchman.
Although he had a bright start to his career at the Santiago Bernabeu, the 23-year-old has eventually fallen down the pecking order. With the arrival of Jude Bellingham and the emergence of Eduardo Camavinga, manager Carlo Ancelotti has multiple choices in midfield. Thus, Los Blancos could be convinced to sell Tchouameni after just one season, having arrived from AS Monaco on a deal worth €80 million.
Real Madrid are expected to reject the offer as they are looking to avoid making a loss on the player. The Reds will be looking to add more options to midfield after completing the signing of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion.