Brought to London from Nigeria as an 11 year old Victor Moses joined Crystal Palace after being spotted playing in South London park leagues.
Though quiet and far more unassuming than most of his contemporaries there was no doubting his natural talent and a number of decent goalscoring records in the junior ranks - 50 in one season as an under 14 - was further evidence of his ability.
So too his starring role in the 2005 Schools Cup final when he scored all the goals in a 5-0 win over a team from Grimsby in shirts as scarlet as their faces were left on the final whistle.
The Grimsby Evening Telegraph’s headline said it all: "Holy Moses - Wonder Player Parts Red Sea".
A first team debut with Palace came at 16 in November 2007 and after a brief hiatus he has remained a fixture in the Palace side.
Half a dozen goals in the current campaign his second full season and a string of rave reviews in each of the many scouting reports filed on him means the Eagles hold the hottest property in domestic football.
Eyed up by a clutch of Premiership and European clubs including Real Madrid the world and a bright future in the game is literally at the teenager’s feet.
Moses plays through the middle or wide on either flank. However, despite turning out mostly on the left over the past few months he is hugely effective in a central role including that of second striker.
Ryan Babel is a similar type of player though perhaps not the best measure as while the Dutchman has everything a top striker needs plus immense versatility he is seemingly nearing the end of his stay at Anfield.
By contrast Moses possibly because of trauma suffered back in his homeland where his parents were killed as a result of religious violence seems to have the drive to reach the top of his profession.
He will seemingly bust a gut to get there which along with his natural ability makes him a valuable asset and a sharp relief to Babel.
Neil Warnock is not Liverpool’s or indeed Rafa Benitez’s biggest fan after the denouement to the 2006-07 campaign but would not stand in the player’s way if he opted to continue his career on Merseyside.
He couldn’t in any case. Acute financial problems make a sale inevitable and club officials admit it is possibly imminent as agreements with more than one club are set to be sealed. The rest will be up to the player.
Liverpool have in the past missed out on young talent by allowing others to plunder deals which were more or less done as the person then in charge of negotiations dithered, switched off his mobile or fax. Most galling of all because he was receiving specialist coaching at Melwood.
The Reds are said to be amongst the keenest clubs negotiating with Simon Jordan.
Many deals mooted have been loan options with a permanent switch in the summer. However, this option is unlikely to smooth any wrinkles in negotiations unless there is a huge down payment which would at least settle Palace’s outstanding tax liabilities.
It could be the best for the player who would at least remain a regular part of one team’s first team picture rather than got lost in development ahead of being gradually unleashed on top flight backlines. Though he will not remain at Selhurst Park unless Moses goes back until June to Croydon having been bought by another club.
Though strong, full of pace, skilled and able to find the net he confounds experienced and hardened defenders through good technique. Almost certainly ready for a sterner test as he has been schooled in a manner hosts of promising youngsters from the nation’s top clubs have troden.
A player who would fit into any squad and not a bad shout for Liverpool in the short term given that there is a need for a strong and direct presence. Whether it is fair to that the burden of shadowing and replacing Fernando Torres when the Spaniard is out should rest on his shoulders like it has done on davis Ngog is another question.
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