Jeremy Morley Gill (born 8 September 1970) is an English former professional footballer who most recently managed National League South club Bath City.
Though Gill struggled to establish himself with Birmingham, and was never an undisputed member of the starting eleven, he played a big part in the club's 2001 League Cup run, and was controversially omitted from the squad for the final.
[8][9] In his first 18 months with the club he appeared only infrequently for the first team, but in the 1992–93 season he established himself as a first-team player and remained so for the duration of his Bath City career.
[3][13] Though Yeovil were at the time in the Isthmian League Premier Division, the level below the Conference, under player-manager Graham Roberts they were playing good football and were expected to challenge for promotion.
Gill occupied the right-back spot in this team, which had previously featured players such as Alan Smith and Steve Guppy who had gone on to represent England at full international level.
[17] International selection attracted scouts from Football League clubs, and Gill was invited to Birmingham City to take part in trial matches.
Halfway through the season, Roberts had brought striker Howard Forinton to Yeovil from Oxford City; his 23 goals in 21 games[19] did much to secure the Isthmian League title and promotion to the Conference, and also caught the eye of Birmingham manager Trevor Francis.
[10][20][21] Gill spent nearly a full season at St Andrew's before he finally made his Football League debut, at the age of 27, on 18 April 1998 in a 3–0 defeat of Swindon Town.
[10][20] After Rowett made a £3 million move to Premier League club Leicester City, Gill faced competition from Nicky Eaden, newly arrived from Barnsley, Northern Ireland international winger Jon McCarthy, often used at right wing-back, and a variety of loan signings.
Having taken part in most of the games in Birmingham's League Cup run, he was omitted from the first leg of the semi-final at Ipswich Town in favour of loan player Steve Jenkins.
"[28] Recalled for the second leg, he produced an excellent performance,[29] making a goal-line clearance from a header which would have left Birmingham two goals adrift had it crossed the line.
[35] Though he did then receive a League Cup runners-up medal: club secretary Alan Jones had kept a spare one back, which he presented to Gill after Francis left.
[32] Under new manager Steve Bruce he played only one game, a 3–0 FA Cup defeat at Liverpool for which Jeff Kenna was cup-tied, and when the team won promotion to the Premier League that season, it became clear that his future lay elsewhere.
[38] His season proceeded successfully – a new two-year contract had been discussed, and he finished as runner-up for the club's Player of the Year award – until with two games remaining he damaged his anterior cruciate ligament and was expected to be out for several months.
[39] Birmingham City allowed him to use their facilities for his rehabilitation, and he recovered sufficiently to play a couple of reserve games for Northampton, but by that time new manager Colin Calderwood had other players in Gill's position and he was not offered another contract.
[41] He was given a one-year contract for the 2004–05 season and, at the age of 34, played in all 46 league games; he believed that all the fitness work he did during rehabilitation from his knee injury had given him a new lease of life.
[44] His starting place and winners' medal, achieved with the help of his "excellent last-ditch defending",[45] went some way to alleviate the disappointment of missing the 2001 League Cup final.
[50] Gill joined Forest Green Rovers as player-coach on 1 October 2008, initially on loan, expecting to make the move permanent when the transfer window opened in January 2009.
[53] During a match against Oxford United in March 2009, Gill suffered a triple fracture to his cheekbone and eye socket when a "nudge" from opponent Chris Carruthers, a former teammate at Northampton Town, propelled him into the advertising boards surrounding the pitch with such force that he was unable to prevent his head taking the full impact of a collision with a steel bar.
He was shortlisted for the post of manager at Conference club Cambridge United, but lost out to the more experienced Martin Ling,[56] and was a favourite to replace Harvey, dismissed by Forest Green,[57] but was again unsuccessful.
[64] He left Harriers in February 2013 to concentrate on scouting for Premier League club Norwich City,[65] a role he had been involved with for some months on a part-time basis.