Wrexham star who feared career was over after horrific injury now key to Ryan Reynolds' dream - The Mirror

Wrexham striker Kieffer Moore once thought he would have to retire after suffering a fractured skull, but is now scoring goals and key to Ryan Reynolds' team's Premier League push

A Wrexham star who once feared he would be forced to retire after suffering a horrific head injury is now central to the club's hopes of reaching the Premier League. Kieffer Moore signed for the Welsh side from Sheffield United for £2million at the start of August.

The Wales international striker has hit the ground running, scoring five goals across all competitions so far this season, including four in the Championship. Wrexham were backed heavily by Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac in the summer transfer window, splashing out around £33m on 13 new players.

The two actors have made their dream of taking the Red Dragons into the top flight crystal clear, and Moore continuing his hot streak could be key to that as they aim to rise out of mid-table. However, the 33-year-old might never have played at the Racecourse Ground had he chosen to hang up his boots after a fractured skull left him fearing for his future.

Moore suffered the frightening injury while starring for former club Barnsley during a League One match at Gillingham in February 2019. He was left lying unconscious on the pitch for approximately eight minutes after challenging for a header, and later rushed to hospital.

Speaking to Sky Sports later that year, Moore revealed how it left him considering retirement, saying: "It was a horrendous injury. At the time I didn't remember much. But as the weeks went on I started remembering it all again.

"The defender headed the side of my head, I fractured my temporal bone and had a really nasty concussion. I wasn't in a good way. My agent was there and he was ringing my mum and girlfriend - and they weren't best pleased.

"I had blood streaming out of my ears. It was quite graphic. I didn't have an operation, but I had a CT scan and multiple other scans and they determined the outcome."

He added: "I believe that moment [fracturing his skull] has put a lot of things into perspective for me. How l live my life and what I want from my career as a footballer. There were talks about retiring, but I made a very good recovery and now I'm here.

"I still have to go up for headers, and if I believed I couldn't do that anymore I would walk out of the game. If the ball is there to be won then I'm going to try and win it, and give everything for the cause like I've done the whole of my career."

Moore was out of action for two months after the incident before returning towards the end of the 2018-19 season. He then joined Wigan that summer, before spells with Cardiff City and Bournemouth.

He spent last season with Sheffield United in the Championship and was part of the team which narrowly missed out on promotion to the Premier League after losing to Sunderland in the play-off final. After featuring in Wrexham's home game against Birmingham on Friday, Moore will now turn his attention to international duty with Wales.

The striker has been included in Craig Bellamy's squad for their friendly against England at Wembley on October 9 and a pivotal World Cup qualifier at home to Belgium on October 13. Moore notched his 15th goal for Wales on his 50th appearance last month during their 1-0 qualifying victory in Kazakhstan.

Speaking to the BBC ahead of Wales' next fixtures, he said: "There's no greater honour playing for your country. You know, it's everything you ever want. International football is amazing and to be a part of it and to play a part in it is incredible."

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.