David Mooney (born 30 October 1984) is an Irish footballer who has played for several clubs in Ireland and the United Kingdom. As of 2019, he was playing as a striker for Leinster Senior League side Lucan United.
Club career
Shamrock Rovers
Mooney joined Shamrock Rovers, his first senior club, in 2000, while he was a pupil in Coláiste Éanna, in Dublin. He scored in every round when Rovers' won the U17 All Ireland title against Kingdom Boys in 2002. Mooney made his first team debut coming on as a sub against Longford Town on 6 April 2004. His first goal came on 24 June 2004 against Dublin City. In his fifteen months in the first team, he scored nine goals in 40 total appearances.
Due to Rovers' financial position at the time players had to be sold on and Mooney moved to Longford. His last game with Rovers was against Cork City on 22 July 2005.
Longford Town
He made his Longford debut on 6 August 2005 in a 1–0 win over Bohemians. His scoring return of 19 goals in the 2007 League of Ireland Premier Division season ensured he was top scorer in the league. Mooney's goals also led Longford Town to the final of the FAI Cup. However, Longford Town were relegated to the League of Ireland First Division, albeit with a six-point deduction, and lost the FAI Cup final to Cork City.
His form throughout the season resulted in a nomination for the PFAI Player of the Year and he won the FAI Player of the Year, as well as the Player of the Month award for August 2007.
Cork City
After Mooney's form throughout the 2007 League of Ireland season, he was linked to potential moves away from Flancare Park. He had been linked with a move to the Football League the following season with Football League Championship sides Crystal Palace and Colchester United reportedly interested in signing him. Representatives from Premier League side Fulham were said to have been in attendance at the FAI Cup final, and Leeds United manager Dennis Wise had also watched Mooney in action.
However, Mooney promised to follow his manager Alan Mathews down south if he was to stay in Ireland. He had been offered a contract by English Premiership side Blackburn Rovers, but instead signed a longer three-year contract with Cork City in January 2008, thus ending two and a half years in the midlands.
In Mooney's only season with Cork City, he was at the top of the goalscoring charts again. In a game against Derry City at The Brandywell, Mooney scored twice in a minute to bring the game (which Derry had dominated) level at 2–2, and come close to completing his hat-trick just moments later with a 30-yard effort that came back off an upright (a goal from Denis Behan eventually gave Cork all three points). Before European football came to Turner's Cross midway through the season, Mooney had scored 18 goals in total, and broken his teammate Behan's record for a scoring run by netting 11 goals in six matches. He then scored on his European debut, in a 2–2 UEFA Cup draw with Finnish side FC Haka.
Reading
However, Mooney would only last another month at Cork City. Mooney had attracted renewed interest from England. One of the clubs was Reading. On 20 August, he signed for them for a fee believed to be in the region of €260,000. Mooney was given squad number 12.
Mooney made his Reading debut in the League Cup, coming on as a substitute against Luton Town. He then made an extra time appearance in a League Cup penalty shootout defeat against Stoke City.
Mooney scored his first Reading goals on his full debut for the club, scoring twice at home to Burton Albion in a first round League Cup tie on 11 August 2009.
Loan to Norwich City
Mooney had a loan spell (cut short by injury) with League One side Stockport County midway through the 2008–09 season, but in March 2009, he moved on a month's loan to Championship strugglers Norwich City. He scored twice in his first three appearances for Norwich, including the opener in a 2–0 win over Cardiff City and the only goal of the game against fellow relegation candidates Plymouth Argyle. As a result, Mooney's loan spell at Carrow Road was extended until the end of the season. Although he would eventually total three goals in nine league games for the club, his contribution would not be enough to prevent Norwich from being relegated.