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A FORMER Dundee United youngster whose career cruelly stalled after he developed skin cancer has taken the heartbreaking decision to hang up his boots for good.

Jordan Moore was diagnosed with melanoma in January 2014 when a mole on the right side of his face was found to be cancerous. At the time, he was playing on loan with Dunfermline and had scored eight goals in 10 starts.

He endured two operations, including 12 hours of surgery, in May 2014 when 80 lymph nodes were removed. Nerves were severed on one side of his face and Moore was left with a scar on his neck.

After being given the all-clear, he had further loan spells with Airdrie, Dunfermline and Queen's Park before he signed for League of Ireland side Limerick in February this year.

But he returned home to Scotland in May and has now decided to retire and pursue a new career, possibly as a police officer.

(Image: SNS Group)

Now Moore is fronting the Stand Up To Cancer campaign in Scotland, which aims to raise funds for research into new treatments for the disease.

The 22-year-old: said: "I'm so proud to support Stand Up To Cancer and I want to encourage as many people as possible to join me and stand up to this devastating disease.

"Football has been my whole life so moving on from that now is incredibly tough. I went straight up to Dundee to train full-time aged 16 as soon as I left school.

"I loved my time in Dundee. It's a brilliant city to live in. I trained every day, even on Christmas Day, and I've never had to think about another job until now. But there is so much more out there that I can do.

"I want to go down the road of helping people instead of concentrating just on football. When I was first told I had skin cancer, the doctor asked me if I was always out in the sun or using sunbeds.

"I've never used sunbeds but I grew up playing football outside every day wearing no sunscreen, so my skin must have been exposed to the sun all those years.

"That's why I now believe it's vital when kids are out training on football pitches to make sure they're wearing sun cream to protect their skin."

Mr Moore launched the campaign with his mother Angela.

She said: "Your whole world just falls apart when you get told that your son has cancer.

"I was in the hospital room with Jordan when he was told. When the doctor gives you a big cuddle before giving you news, you think, what's this? We had just never expected it. If I could, I'd have taken it all on myself instead of watching my son go through it. It was incredibly hard for a young lad, just horrendous for him.

"Football had been Jordan's love and passion since he was a wee boy. He had sacrificed so much. It felt so unfair that cancer threatened to take all of this away, but Jordan never complained. It has been difficult as I've tried to put on a brave face for Jordan, but the way Jordan has handled it all is nothing short of inspirational."

Every day, 85 people are diagnosed with cancer in Scotland, Cancer Research UK said.

The charity is offering free fundraising packs to encourage people to join the campaign and stage events across the country.

Stand Up To Cancer culminates with a live entertainment programme on Channel 4 on October 21 with the likes of presenter Davina McCall and comedian Alan Carr.