Eoin Jess

Did You Know?

• In April 2009, at age 38, Jess suffered a mild stroke; a hole in his heart was discovered and he underwent surgery in 2010.
• In 2015 he was voted into Aberdeen's 'greatest ever team' by supporters.
• In November 2018 he was inducted into the Aberdeen Hall of Fame.

Club career

Born in Portsoy, Aberdeenshire, Jess began as a trainee striker at Rangers alongside John Spencer but left in 1987 and soon signed for Aberdeen. He debuted late in the 1988–89 season and made an impact the following campaign, starting against Rapid Vienna in the UEFA Cup and in the 1989 Scottish League Cup final, which Aberdeen won 2–1 over Rangers. The club finished runners-up in the Premier Division, and Jess was an unused substitute in the 1990 Scottish Cup final victory.

In 1990–91 he scored 13 league goals, forming a productive partnership with Hans Gillhaus, and netted a hat-trick away to Dundee United, four away to Dunfermline, and three across two home wins over Celtic. He won the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award that season. Although he played 42 games in 1991–92, Aberdeen finished 6th; he scored in a September win at Ibrox, Aberdeen's last there until 2017. In 1992–93 the club were league runners-up and reached both cup finals.

Jess scored the winning goal in the League Cup semi-final against Celtic and played all 120 minutes of the final, a 2–1 defeat to Rangers. He fractured an ankle in the Scottish Cup quarter-final against Clydebank in March 1993 but returned after two months as a substitute in the final, another 2–1 loss to Rangers. He won the PFA Young Player award for a second time that season.

International career

After declining an approach from Northern Ireland, he made his full debut in November 1992 against Italy. He earned 18 caps and also appeared twice for the B team in 1994 and 1996. Selected for UEFA Euro 1996 while at Coventry City, he made one appearance as a substitute in a 2–0 defeat to England. His two international goals came while at Aberdeen: the first against San Marino in 1995, and the second in a 2–1 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifier loss at home to the Czech Republic in March 1999. He appeared from the bench in the return fixture three months later, his final Scotland match.