Bryan Gunn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bryan Gunn

Gunn at his own-named catering facility club at Carrow Road in November 2007
Personal information
Full name	Bryan James Gunn
Date of birth	(1963-12-22) 22 December 1963 (age 61)
Place of birth	Thurso, Scotland
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1979–1980	Invergordon
1980–1982	Aberdeen
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1982–1986	Aberdeen	15	(0)
1986–1998	Norwich City	390	(0)
1998	→ Hibernian (loan)	12	(0)
1998–1999	Hibernian	0	(0)
Total		417	(0)
National team
1990–1994	Scotland	6	(0)
Teams managed
2009	Norwich City
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Bryan James Gunn (born 22 December 1963) is a Scottish former professional goalkeeper and football manager. He started his career at Aberdeen in the early 1980s. He spent most of his playing time at Norwich City, where he became very well known. After that, he played briefly for Hibernian in Scotland before he stopped playing in 1998.

Bryan Gunn believes the best moment of his playing career was a special save he made. This happened during a UEFA Cup match against Bayern Munich in 1993. This game was called the highlight of Norwich City's history by The Independent newspaper. He is one of only nine Norwich players to win the club's Player of the Year award twice. He was also one of the first people to be added to Norwich City's Hall of Fame. Bryan Gunn also played for the Scotland national football team six times in the early 1990s.

After his playing career, Gunn worked for many years behind the scenes at Norwich City. He did different jobs, from hosting on match days to coaching. He became the temporary manager near the end of the 2008–09 season. He was then made the permanent manager during the summer. However, after a big 7–1 loss at home to Colchester United in the first game, he lost his job just a week into the 2009–10 Football League One season.

Since his young daughter passed away from leukaemia in 1992, Bryan Gunn has worked hard to raise money to fight the disease. By 2011, he had raised over £1 million for research into childhood leukaemia. This money has helped fund projects that make life better for children with leukaemia and their families. One important project is a national phone support line. The city of Norwich recognized Gunn's charity work and his long connection with the football club. They named him Sheriff for the year 2002. His book, In Where it Hurts: My Autobiography, was published in 2006. It includes a special introduction written by his former manager, Alex Ferguson.

Early Life and Football Dreams

Bryan Gunn was born on 22 December 1963 in Thurso, Scotland. His father, James Gunn, was a lorry driver and an amateur sportsman. He played football for a local team and won medals at Highland games. Bryan's mother, Jessie Sinclair, worked in a canteen.

The Gunn family lived on a farm in Thurso. Young Bryan often asked the farm workers to play football with him. If they didn't have a ball, they would use a turnip! By the age of four, he loved being a goalkeeper. He wasn't afraid of getting hurt and enjoyed diving for the ball. When Bryan was four and a half, his family moved to Invergordon. He went to Park Primary School there and joined the school football team. Another future professional player, Bobby Geddes, was the first-choice goalkeeper. Bryan played as an outfield player until Bobby moved to secondary school.

Bryan went to Invergordon Academy from 1975 to 1980. He passed his O Grade exams in subjects like English, maths, history, and chemistry. When he was 13, a school teacher invited him to play for the Invergordon F.C. under-15 team. Even though his first game was a 9–0 loss, his skills soon caught the eye of national selectors. Around the same time, at age 14, he joined Aberdeen.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Aberdeen

The manager of Aberdeen, Alex Ferguson, mentored Gunn.

Bryan Gunn started his professional football journey with Aberdeen in 1980. He built a good relationship with Aberdeen's manager, Alex Ferguson. This was clear when Ferguson brought his Manchester United team to Carrow Road for Gunn's special testimonial match in 1997. When Gunn was a young apprentice at Aberdeen, he often babysat Ferguson's children. He once joked, "I probably babysat more than I played." Gunn described their relationship as friendly but also professional.

As a young player, Gunn didn't always play in goal. He was seen as a useful outfield player in his early years at Aberdeen. Alex Ferguson remembered, "He could strike a ball as well as anyone." Ferguson even played him as a centre-forward in a reserve match once, where Gunn scored a great goal. However, as he grew to his adult height of 6 feet 2 inches, Gunn became a full-time goalkeeper. Gunn credits much of his success to Marc De Clerck, a special goalkeeping coach at Aberdeen. At a time when few British teams had such training, De Clerck taught Gunn and other goalkeepers new techniques. Gunn also learned a lot from Aberdeen coach Teddy Scott, who taught him about hard work.

Because Jim Leighton, another great goalkeeper, was already at Aberdeen, Gunn only played 21 games for the club. He made his first appearance against Hibernian on 30 October 1982. He managed to keep four clean sheets (games where the opponent doesn't score) for Aberdeen. Even though they were rivals for a spot on the team, Gunn and Leighton had a great friendship.

Gunn's training and good performances for the reserve team helped him get noticed. He was called up for the Scotland under-21 team and played his first game in November 1983. As a reserve player, Gunn won several cups. He also received medals for winning the Scottish League Cup and the European Cup Winners Cup with Aberdeen. He was on the bench for both finals. He made a surprise appearance in the 1986 European Cup quarter-final against Gothenburg. Gunn had a fantastic game, making several key saves.

Since Jim Leighton was unlikely to leave his spot, Alex Ferguson promised to help Gunn find another club. Ferguson kept his promise and sold Gunn to Norwich City for £100,000 in October 1986.

Life at Norwich City

Ken Brown, the Norwich manager who signed Gunn.

Bryan Gunn found it easy to settle in Norwich, saying it was "a bit like Aberdeen in many ways." He joined the club partway through the season. It was hard at first to become the main goalkeeper. Gunn was bought to replace Chris Woods, who had moved to another club. Meanwhile, Graham Benstead was playing very well, and Norwich was at the top of the league. The manager, Ken Brown, wanted to be fair to Benstead.

A big 6–2 loss at Anfield led to Gunn becoming the first-choice goalkeeper. He made his debut in a cup win against Coventry City. His league debut was a 2–1 win against Tottenham Hotspur on 8 November 1986. Norwich finished fifth in the First Division that season, which was their highest league finish at the time. By May 1988, Gunn was playing so consistently that his value had grown a lot. The club reportedly turned down a £500,000 offer for him.

Norwich reached the semi-final of the FA Cup in 1989 with Gunn in goal. However, he missed the 1992 semi-final due to an injury. One of his—and Norwich's—greatest moments came in their amazing win over European giants Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup in 1993. The Independent called this match "the pinnacle of Norwich City's history." Gunn made several saves that kept Norwich in the game. He describes a save from Bayern striker Adolfo Valencia as the best of his career.

In November 1989, Gunn was involved in a famous incident during a match against Arsenal. In the final seconds of the game, the referee awarded Arsenal a penalty kick. Gunn saved the shot, but the ball wasn't cleared. There was a big scramble for the ball, and it ended up in the net. A fight then broke out between players from both teams. Gunn described how he tried to break it up and ended up getting involved. No one was sent off, but the newspapers called it "The Highbury Brawl." Gunn was later warned by The Football Association and fined by Norwich City.

In the 1994–95 season, Gunn broke his ankle while playing. His importance to the team was clear when Norwich's performance dropped a lot after his injury. The team was eventually relegated. Gunn continued to be a regular player and became the team's captain in 1996. However, when Mike Walker became manager, he chose Ian Crook as captain instead.

Gunn's last first-team game for Norwich was a 1–0 loss on 31 January 1998. He played 478 games for Norwich in total. He was voted Norwich City Player of the Year in 1988 and 1993. The 1993 award came after Norwich finished third in the Premier League, their best-ever performance. The club held a special match for Gunn in 1996, and Alex Ferguson brought Manchester United to play.

Moving to Hibernian

Andy Marshall displaced Gunn from the Norwich first team.

In the 1997–98 season, a new goalkeeper named Andy Marshall started playing well for Norwich. This meant Bryan Gunn had fewer chances to play. So, in February 1998, he joined Hibernian in Scotland. He was first on a loan deal, but it quickly became a permanent transfer for £25,000.

Gunn felt sad about leaving Norwich. He had spent 12 great years there and suddenly wasn't the top choice anymore. He joined Hibernian when they were at the bottom of the Scottish Premier Division. Alex McLeish had just become their manager. Gunn couldn't save the club from being relegated to the First Division. However, he signed a two-year contract in July 1998. Sadly, a hairline fracture in his leg, which he got during the summer of 1998, effectively ended his playing career. He officially retired in March 1999.

Despite his mixed feelings about joining Hibernian, Gunn remembers his time there positively. He only played 12 games but enjoyed it. He especially remembers beating their rivals Hearts 2–1 in a derby game. He also kept a clean sheet at Celtic Park, stopping them from winning the league that day. He received a warm welcome from Aberdeen fans when he played against his old club.

Playing for Scotland

Bryan Gunn played for Scotland at youth level. He was part of the team that won the 1982 UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship. However, he couldn't play in the final because Aberdeen had a big cup final that day.

In 1983, Gunn traveled with the Scotland Under-19s to Mexico for the 1983 FIFA World Youth Championship. Gunn played in all four of Scotland's matches. It was a challenging experience. In the first match, against South Korea, the crowd threw coins and rotten fruit at him. He even got hit by a plastic bag with rotten fish! Gunn found it "a nightmare" but played one of the best games of his life, keeping a clean sheet. Scotland's coach, Andy Roxburgh, told Gunn it was the best performance he had ever seen from a Scottish goalkeeper.

Gunn played six full international games for Scotland. He was part of the squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, but he didn't play in any of Scotland's three matches. He was the third-choice goalkeeper behind Jim Leighton and Andy Goram. He made his Scotland debut in a friendly game against Egypt before the tournament. He was involved in two Egyptian goals, and Scotland lost 3–1. This was embarrassing, especially since his parents were watching. Gunn played four games for Scotland in 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification matches. His last game for Scotland was in May 1994.

After Playing: Coaching and Other Roles

Bryan Gunn got his coaching certification in 1983, while he was still with Aberdeen. After he stopped playing professional football in 1999, Gunn first worked in hospitality at Carrow Road. He worked in "The Gunn Club," a food and drink area named after him.

Over the years, Gunn moved into other business roles at Norwich City. He was the sponsorship manager from 1999 to 2006. In 2007, manager Peter Grant moved Gunn into the "backroom" sports management side. Gunn helped with talks for new player transfers and loans. He used the contacts he made during his playing career for these tasks.

When Glenn Roeder became manager in November 2007, Gunn became the goalkeeping coach for the rest of the season. This was his first official coaching job. Later that season, Gunn was promoted to head of player recruitment, while still being the goalkeeping coach.

Managing Norwich City

After Glenn Roeder was fired as Norwich manager in January 2009, Bryan Gunn was asked to take temporary charge of the first team. In his first game as caretaker manager, he received a great welcome from the fans. Norwich beat Barnsley 4–0. The players also supported him. Gunn thought about applying for the manager role permanently. He had applied before in 1998 but wasn't chosen. On 19 January 2009, he called the directors and asked to be considered. He was interviewed that afternoon and was appointed manager until the end of the season the next day.

Gunn brought in former Norwich colleagues to help him. He made Ian Crook the first-team coach and John Deehan the chief scout. However, the team's good start didn't last. Norwich lost their last three games of the season and were relegated from the Championship. Gunn called his players an "embarrassment" after the loss that sealed their relegation. Despite this, Gunn decided to stay on as manager. He felt he had to try and fix things after the relegation.

Norwich re-appointed Gunn as manager for the 2009–10 season. He signed 12 new players, including Australian goalkeeper Michael Theoklitos. Norwich was unbeaten in their pre-season friendly matches. Just under a month after Gunn's reappointment, Norwich got a new managing director, David McNally.

For the first game of the new season, Norwich played at home against Colchester United. Gunn's team suffered a huge 7–1 defeat. Theoklitos, the new goalkeeper, was especially blamed for the big loss. He later said it was "the worst performance of my career." Fans and the media reacted strongly to the shock defeat. Some fans even threw their season tickets at Gunn. Many fans left before the match ended, and there was a protest outside the stadium. Media reports were very negative, calling it a "disastrous start." Things seemed to get a little better with a 4–0 win in the League Cup a few days later. However, Gunn was sacked by McNally on 14 August 2009, just six days after the Colchester defeat.

Gunn was influenced by former Norwich manager Mike Walker. Walker believed that goalkeepers can make good managers because they have a great view of the game. Gunn's short time at Norwich is his only experience as a professional football manager. He says his only regret is that "there must be a generation of fans who only know me as the manager who lost 7-1 against Colchester."

Managerial Statistics

Life After Football

In November 2009, Bryan Gunn started working as a director for OneStream, a company that deals with phone and mobile solutions. In 2011, Gunn announced he was leaving OneStream for a new job as a sports agent. In this role, he is responsible for finding and signing young footballers.

Family and Personal Life

Bryan Gunn's wife, Susan, is an artist. She won a major art prize in 2008. The couple met in Spain when Gunn was on holiday and Susan had a bridal wear company. Susan said that when she first met Bryan, she didn't know anything about football. He told her he was a joiner! Gunn later told her he was a footballer. He proposed to her within three days, and they got married the next year. They lived near Norwich for a long time before moving to Cheshire in 2011.

The Gunns have three children: Francesca, Melissa, and Angus. Melissa is a model. Angus is also a footballer and plays as a goalkeeper, just like his dad. Angus played for Norwich City as a youth player. In October 2010, he was chosen for the England national under-16 football team, a year younger than most players in that group. In July 2011, Angus joined Manchester City. He is known for his quick reflexes and strong wrists. Angus returned to Norwich on loan in 2017 and later played for Southampton before coming back to Norwich. Angus also played for the England under-21 football team. In March 2023, he decided to play for Scotland, like his father.

Bryan Gunn has a rheumatic spinal condition called ankylosing spondylitis, which he manages with medicine. His book, In Where it Hurts, was published in 2006. It includes an introduction by his former manager, Alex Ferguson. The book was praised for its humor and observations. The publishers agreed to donate £1 to Gunn's Leukaemia appeal fund for every book sold.

Bryan Gunn's Leukaemia Appeal

In 1992, Bryan Gunn's two-year-old daughter, Francesca, was diagnosed with leukaemia. Norwich City fans were surprised when they saw their goalkeeper with a completely shaved head. It turned out he shaved his head to show support for his daughter, whose hair fell out during chemotherapy. When people learned why he had shaved his head, he received support from the whole sporting world and the people of Norfolk.

Francesca passed away in 1992, at the age of two. Just days after his daughter died, Gunn played a match for Norwich. He said, "When I ran out, I thought, wow, I could feel the whole stadium was with me." At the end of that season, Gunn won Norwich's Player of the Year award. The club also finished third in the Premier League, their highest-ever league position.

After Francesca's death, Gunn started "Bryan Gunn's Leukaemia Appeal." This fund raises money to fight the disease. He first aimed to raise £10,000, but by 2011, he had raised £1,000,000! The fund helps in three main ways:

• Equipping local hospitals to better care for children with leukaemia.
• Providing extra training for nurses and staff who care for these children.
• Supporting more research into the causes and cures of leukaemia.

The research part has led to funding leukaemia research at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. Gunn hopes that a cure can be found in the lab there, bearing Francesca's name. Norwich is now a leading center for leukaemia research.

In addition to research, Gunn set up a phone support line called gaps:line (Gunn Appeal Parent Support). This service offers advice and help for parents of children with leukaemia or other cancers. It started in Norfolk in 2004 and expanded nationally in 2006. The appeal has also funded other research and support work.

Playing Style and Legacy

As a player, Bryan Gunn was described as "a leader with a big presence" by his manager at Hibernian, Alex McLeish. Alex Ferguson remembered that Gunn had a "warm, outgoing and endearing character." He added that Gunn was "a tremendous young keeper" who was always professional and committed.

Gunn had a great connection with the Norwich supporters. As a player, he liked to joke with the crowd during games. Before each half of a match, Gunn would run towards his goal and pretend to headbutt the crossbar. He said this was a habit he started as a child. Norwich fans noticed it and would make a "Wooo... WOOOOO ... AH!" sound as he did it. Gunn loved it! During games, he would cup his ear, and fans would shout, "Bryan, Bryan, give us a wave."

Gunn is known as "a legend in Norwich" because of his many years playing and working for the club. In 2002, he was one of the first 25 people to be inducted into the Norwich City Hall of Fame. In a 2005 fan poll, Gunn was voted Norwich's top "cult hero." He received 37% of the votes. Gunn is one of only nine players to have won the Norwich City Player of the Year award twice, in 1988 and 1993. He is the only goalkeeper to do so. In 2003, he received an "Outstanding Contribution to the Community" award from the Premier League. In recognition of his achievements with Norwich City and his charity work, Gunn was made Sheriff of Norwich for the year 2002 by the City Council.

Career Statistics

Honours

Aberdeen

• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1982–83
• Scottish League Cup: 1985–86

Scotland U18

• UEFA European Under-18 Football Championship: 1982

Individual

• Barry Butler Trophy: 1988, 1993
• Norwich City F.C. Hall of Fame Inaugural Member: 2002