Canary legend Jeremy Goss has hailed the League One table-toppers and manager Paul Lambert as he takes up his new role assisting Ian Crook’s City reserves.
The former Norwich midfielder – who became a household name after scoring THAT goal against Bayern Munich in 1993 – is back on the training pitches once again after a spell working in the club’s sponsorship sales department and more recently as community ambassador.
And he’s certainly joining a happy camp, with City edging ever closer to promotion back to the Championship. Goss has certainly been very impressed with what he’s seen so far.
“The first team have been unbelievable this season and what they’ve done so far shouldn’t be underestimated,” he said in an exclusive interview with MFW.
“Simply breaking the club record of consecutive home wins was just phenomenal and that is just one little example of how far we’ve come. It also looks like we’re going to have three players to score over 20 goals in one season and things like that just don’t usually happen.”
After a tough few years since relegation from the Premier League in 2005, the feel good factor is back in Norfolk and it just goes to show how important results are in this business.
“The club are breaking records, taking the division by storm and after a settling in period with the new manager, they’ve responded so well to his qualities.
“They’re getting back in the habit of winning football matches, they’re confident and they’ve got total belief in themselves. Norwich score plenty of goals and that wins games.
“The overall contribution stems from the manager and that goes through to the coaching that Ian Culverhouse and Ian Crook are putting on and the players and the team spirit that has been created. It’s a big squad and there is a lot of competition for places, with some very good players waiting to get into the team.
“They are not promoted yet, and things can change very quickly, but up until now, they’ve been simply outstanding. The feel good factor is back and that has fed through to the staff working for the club and the supporters as well.
“Because of the excitement generated from the manager and the players, the knock on effects are endless.”
As for his new gig with the second string, Goss is clearly delighted to put his boots on once again after being approached by Lambert. And after starting the role in the 1-0 success at Southend last week, the man who made 188 appearances in the yellow and green is getting stuck in straight away.
“I was approached by the manager and it was a very pleasant surprise. I’m absolutely delighted to be in a position where I can help Ian out as much as possible and play a very small part in this club’s success.
“I really appreciate that the manager came to me and it will go on as long as the manager would like it to go on. While it lasts I’m really, really enjoying it and it’s a fantastic feeling to get the boots back on, get amongst the players and be involved in training. It’s terrific.
“I’ll be under Ian’s wing and he’s a fantastic friend of mine and a terrific coach. I can only learn from people like him.”
Despite spending the past few years donning a suit on a day-to-day basis, Goss has taken to his new role like a duck to water. And the former Welsh international feels that having plied his trade in the reserves before getting his big break at Carrow Road, he can pass on some of that experience to the current second string.
“We went over to Southend and it felt like I’ve never been away. I played a lot of reserve team games for this football club and I know the feeling; I know the atmosphere that surrounds theses games.
“I understand the frustrations of these players and I felt like yesterday that I was doing the same thing myself. We were on the coach and then before you knew it we were at Roots Hall, doing a warm up and preparing for the game.
“But for the first few weeks it will be a look, listen and learn exercise for me in how the modern player equips himself and prepares for matches. I’m sure I’ll contribute more and more as the weeks go by.
“What I will bring to this particular party is a helping hand, experience and my enthusiasm for the game. If that rubs off just a fraction on the players then that will be great but it will be up to the manager and Ian as to how long they want to use me and in what capacity.”
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