Born in Carron, Stirlingshire, he attended St Francis RC School in Falkirk and played juvenile football for Dunipace Thistle.
Mochan had predominantly played as a centre-forward or outside left during his career but, despite a consistent scoring record, he was not always a first-team regular for Celtic.
[2] He was selected at outside left in the 1957 Scottish League Cup Final and scored twice as Celtic defeated their Old Firm rivals Rangers by 7–1.
In 1960, Mochan joined newly promoted Dundee United and helped them establish their position in the top division.
[2] A biography of Mochan, Celtic's Smiler by Paul John Dykes, was published in 2015, along with an accompanying feature-length documentary.