Eoin Jess
| 2002 - | Midfielder | 38 (31) games | 5 goals |
For a long time, Eoin
Jess bore the brunt of the Forest fans' criticism, but now he seems to have
worked through this to establish himself as a reliable squad player. He was
signed by Paul Hart in the summer of 2002 after being released by Bradford.
He scored a dramatic equalising goal against Preston on his debut after coming
on as a sub, but had a difficult 2002/03 season. His main problem was that,
being versatile enough to play in midfield and also upfront, he was always used
as a filler and never got a run in the team long enough to settle into any
position or establish himself.
Still, with the 2003/04 squad a lot thinner, Jess got more games and showed that
he did not deserve the stick he received the previous year. Not blessed with
great skill or pace, what Jess brings to the game is an astounding work-rate and
the enthusiasm to get forward.
In his season with Bradford before joining the Reds, Jess was top scorer with 14
goals. Before the Bantams, he had played for Aberdeen twice and also Coventry
and won 18 caps with Scotland.