Victor Moses turns 31: A look back at the highs and lows of his career

Victor Moses celebrates his 31st birthday on Sunday and has received lots of love from adoring fans and colleagues alike.

The winger has grown into a fine footballer, who many coaches have counted on at various stages of his career.

Well known for his athleticism and versatility, Moses has impressed at both club and international level since moving to England while he was 11 years old.

In light of Moses' praise-worthy form this season, which has made fans reminisce on his best-ever performances, we take a look at some of the highs and lows of the ex-Super Eagle.

Moses was a brilliant academy player for Crystal Palace who scouted him from a local league side when he was 13. At 14, he was already the talk of south London as stories of a kid who scored 50 goals for the Eagles’ U-14 side was well documented.

At 16, he made his debut for Palace and went on to become an invaluable player for the club.

It was a time of pride for Moses and his relatives, who watched their young orphaned boy work his way into the big leagues after showing his undeniable talent.

Moses had to leave his boyhood club due to the club going into administration in 2010. He went on to join Wigan Athletic.

The Latics were in the Premier League at the time, so it looked like a step up for the ex-England youth international. However, it turned out to be a troubling time for the winger.

A series of injuries hampered his time at Wigan and despite showing flashes of his brilliance, he never could hit the exact level that made people pay attention to the then 20-year-old.

He eventually picked up form a season before his departure for Chelsea, and luckily for him, is still respected in Wigan for his contributions in that season.

Moses featured for England at youth level and was stellar in almost every game he featured in from the U-16s to the U-21 teams.

He was a mainstay for the England youth setup in friendlies, qualifiers and tournaments, scoring 11 goals in 29 appearances across all levels.

When he switched nationalities back to his country of birth in 2011, he performed even better, playing crucial roles as Nigeria qualified for and won the 2013 African Cup of Nations, as well as helping the country make it to the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.

His switch to Nigeria was an emotional one for Moses and his family but it's a time he and Nigerians cherished.

After announcing a shock retirement from international football in 2018, there are rumours the 31-year-old could now be welcomed back into the Super Eagles’ ranks for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon next month.

Moses joined Chelsea after the west London side tried and failed a number of times to convince Wigan to let go of the winger who had just started to come good.

Except for the 2016-2018 Antonio Conte administration, Moses never managed to secure a place in Chelsea's squad, going on loans for six of the nine seasons he was on Chelsea's books.

Moses has fought all his life to be somebody, however, and this lack of trust by the Blues seldom affected him too much to send him into a career slump.

GOAL wishes Moses a happy birthday and we look forward to even better seasons ahead for the now 31-year-old.