JONATHAN GOULD became a Celtic hero as one of Wim Jansen’s recruits in the summer of 1997 who prevented Rangers from winning ten in a row.
The London-born keeper had been given a free transfer by Coventry City the previous year before spending a season at Bradford City where he played in the side’s 2-0 play-off win over Notts County to gain a place in the Championship.
However, Gould was replaced by Mark Schwarzer before the new term’s kick-off and Jansen, not convinced by Gordon Marshall, plucked the shotstopper, then 29, from obscurity.
The netminder repaid the Dutchman’s faith with 24 shut-outs in 48 appearances as the Henrik Larsson-inspired team lifted their first title in a decade.
TROUBLE IN AIR…Jonathan Gould clashes with a Rangers rival as he deals with a high ball.
In addition, Gould also picked up a League Cup winner’s medal as the Hoops walloped Dundee United 3-0 in the soccer showpiece at Ibrox in November 1997.
However, dark clouds appeared on the horizon when he was one of the players involved in the most sensational result in the club’s history, the 3-1 Scottish Cup collapse against Inverness Caley Thistle at Parkhead on February 8 2000.
John Barnes, who had taken over from Jansen’s successor Jo Venglos, was sacked in the immediate fall-out and Hoops legend Kenny Dalglish was put in caretaker charge of the team. Gould played in the 2-0 League Cup victory over Aberdeen in March later that year.
Martin O’Neill arrived as manager in the summer and the last line of defence kept his position for the first 13 league fixtures, including the 5-1 trouncing of Rangers in Paradise in September.
THREE CHEERS…Jonathan Gould, flanked by Jackie McNamara and Tom Boyd, celebrates the Leagie Cup triumph over Dundee United in March 2000.
However, the Irishman paid £1million to bring in Rab Douglas from Dundee and Gould’s days at Parkhead were numbered.
With Douglas Cup-tied, the Englishman had a clean sheet as an unstoppable Larsson sizzled in a hat-trick to overcome Kilmarnock 3-0 in another League Cup success in March 2001.
Gould became a bit-part player until he left for Preston North End on a free transfer in January 2003.
At the start of the 2004/05 season, the keeper went on loan to Hereford United where he made 15 appearances. He then signed for Bristol City on a free in 2005, but after three months was released.
In 2006, he moved to New Zealand to become manager of Hawke’s Bay United and made occasional appearances in the local league.
HIGH JUMP…Jonathan Gould and Rangers striker Gabriel Amato go for the ball.
Three years later, Gould took up an assistant coaching position with Wellington Phoenix. In 2010, he left to join Perth Glory.
He was on the move again in April 2012 when he returned to Wellington on a two-year deal.
Three years later, Gould joined former club West Brom as their first-team goalkeeping coach before taking over at Middlesbrough in a similar capacity in January 2018.
After 16 months, he left the post and was named as Preston’s keeper guru. Once again, though, Gould was packing his bags as he returned to New Zealand and he was appointed the national team’s coach in March 2022.
Nine months afterwards, Gould went back to England to join Stoke City and he left that position in December 2023.
* TOMORROW: Don’t miss the adventures of another former Celt in CQN’s EXCLUSIVE series.
