Upon his return to Aston Villa, Moore made his first-team debut, as a substitute in a 2–2 draw against Birmingham City. At the start of the 2004–05 season, he made his first appearance of the season, coming on as a late substitute, in a 2–0 win against Southampton in the opening game of the season. Since then, Moore found himself in and out of the starting line–up in the first team, as he found himself in a competition with Juan Pablo Ángel, Carlton Cole and Darius Vassell over the striker position. As a result, Moore appeared in the first team, mostly coming on as a substitute. It wasn't until on 5 February 2005 when Moore made his first starts for Aston Villa and played the whole game, as they lost 3–1 against Arsenal. His first senior goal for Villa came in the 2–0 victory against Middlesbrough on 5 March 2005. At the end of the 2004–05 season, he went on to make twenty–two appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Shortly after, Moore signed a contract extension with the club, signing a three–year contract with a 12-month option extension.