Jeremy Goss was a Youth team product who for many years was Norwich
City's nearly man plying most of his trade in the reserves or
from the substitutes bench. Despite playing for Wales (his birth
in Cyprus enabling him to play for any of the Home Countries)
his moment of fame came when he scored in both legs of Norwich's
UEFA Cup Second round victory over Bayern Munich. He totalled
188 league appearance for the Canaries in this time scoring 14
league goals. Norwich's financial vulnerability in the summer
of 1996 saw them release many players and Jeremy joined Scottish
side Hearts. However injuries blighted his time in Edinburgh.
Tabloid rumours linked him with a move to Chelsea in March 1997.
He then had a two week trial with Huddersfield in October 1997
and was offered a contract until the end of the season but this
offer was later withdrawn. Although Millwall showed an interest,
Goss opted to try his luck with Northampton Town. Hearts later
cancelled Jerry's contract and he sought to regain his footballing
career in East Anglia with Colchester United with whom he joined
on a week's trial in January 1998. The Pink Un reported on January 10th 1997 that King's
Lynn manager Peter Morris was observing Jeremy's situation and
would consider signing him for the Linnets. In February 1998,
Jeremy joined Gillingham on trial but did not meet the grade or
fitness to join Kent's ex-Canary contingent of Ade
Akinbiyi, Adrian Pennock and Simon Ratcliffe.
According to an item posted on the Unofficial Norwich City Message Board,
Gozza swapped Southern England for Southern China. "Hong Kong's
South China Morning Post reports Goss, 33, who recently left Hearts,
is currently on a two-week "get to know you" session with Guangzhou
Apollo". He was also offered a player-coach position in Sweden.
However Jerry instead signed up with Colchester for the remainder
of the 1997/98 season. In the summer of 1998, he had a trial with
GM Vauxhall Conference side Stevenage but rejected an offer to
sign a contract with them, preferring instead to concentrate on
an UEFA coach's qualification. Gozza has also been commentating
at Carrow Road for radio and assisting in the club's soccer schools.
On March 20th 1999, Jerry signed for King's Lynn and made his
debut in the 1-0 defeat of Bath City on 23rd March 1999. He was
soon appointed club captain. In August 1999, Jeremy returned to
Carrow Road as a part time coach to the Football Academy, working
under Assistant Academy Director Dave Stringer
with the 12-16 year olds. He left Kings Lynn at the end of October
1999 after 21 games for the Linnets. Writing in his Hot Gossip
column in the Pink UN, Goss
revealed that he could no longer commit himself 100 per cent to
the football club as his priorities began to revolve around other
matters. Hence he and Lynn manager Gary Mills agreed it was best
for him to step down so that the club could pursue other players
in their quest for promotion into the Football Combination.
Goss then worked for Norwich City as a sales executive before
replacing Bryan Gunn as Community Ambassador
in 2007. In January 2010, Goss left Carrow Road as the Community
Ambaador role was cut in light of financial restraints at the
club. Goss, who has also acted as Gunn Club host on match days,
revealed he had turned down the offer of an alternative job within
the club's Football in the Community department. "They
offered me something else but I felt it was the wrong job at the
wrong time for me and I turned it down. But I have no bad feelings
at all about the club and the staff. We've left on good terms.
I wish the club, the staff, the players and the manager all the
very best."
Goss, who has a UEFA B coaching licence, has not ruled pursuing
a different career in sport as he looks at job options. "I'm
in a position now that I've never been in. I've spent nearly all
my life working at Carrow Road and now I've got to see what's
out there. I've got a family to support, a lovely wife and twin
boys and a mortgage to pay like everyone else.But I am excited
by what I can offer a future employer - sport is in my blood and
fitness is in my blood and it may be in one of those areas."
He returned to Norwich in March 2010 to become a coach with the
reserve team and an ambassador for the club. He left to work as a charity
fundraiser for the Norfolk and Norwich Association for the Blind.
His autobiography was published in 2014. he returned to Norwich City in May 2019 as a club ambassador.
On 16th February 2024 it was reported that Gossy was recovering from a frightening car crash and considered himself lucky to be alive. He was travelling along the Northern Distributor Route on 31st January 2024 towards Sprowston, between the Norwich Aviation Museum and the roundabout near the airport, after appearing at a Saxon Air event.
He said:
"I was in the left-hand lane, glanced in my rearview mirror and saw this blue car heading straight towards me - going well over the speed limit. I spontaneously gripped the steering wheel as tight as I could - so much that I later found out I cracked a bone on my wedding ring finger - and dropped my chin into my chest expecting the worst. The car collided into the back of me like an explosion - the sound was frightening. From then I didn't know what direction I was going in but I know the airbags went off and I was hit a second time before I eventually came to a standstill about 100 metres later. "I ended up on the left-hand side of the carriageway, up on the grass verge, not knowing where I was.
"I was worried the car could either be on fire, or catch fire, so I quickly opened my door and knew instantly I was in pain but was desperate to get out. I collapsed on the grass verge in a position which was as pain-free as possible - my initial worry was that I had broken my back. Before I knew it a fire engine appeared and an ambulance followed by the police. I feel lucky to be alive honestly."
Goss was treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken to the N&N Hospital where he underwent x-rays and tests - to get the all-clear - for roughly 10 hours. "It's taken me a while to recover," he added. "I couldn't get out of bed for the first week and had my wife and sons help me. However I'm delighted to be walking around again and things are moving in the right direction. There's been damage done to my ribs, kidneys, lower back and hip but things could've been so much worse."