1. Player Career
Daniel Gosling's professional football career began at a young age, showcasing his talent and versatility across several English clubs before transitioning into coaching.
1.1. Youth and Early Career
Born in Brixham, Devon, Gosling's football journey began when he was scouted by Plymouth Argyle while playing for his hometown club, Brixham United's under-12 side. He developed within Plymouth Argyle's youth academy system from 2003 to 2006.
1.2. Plymouth Argyle
Gosling made his professional debut for Plymouth Argyle on 9 December 2006, at the age of 16 years and 310 days, against Hull City. He entered the game as a first-half substitute for the injured captain Paul Wotton, becoming the fourth youngest debutant in the club's history. His full debut came on New Year's Day 2007 against Southampton at Home Park. In this match, he demonstrated his versatility by moving from right-midfield to right-back after an early injury to defender Mathias Kouo-Doumbé, delivering a solid performance.
Gosling quickly established himself as a regular in the reserve team, and his impressive displays caught the attention of first-team manager Ian Holloway. In early March 2007, he trained for a week with Premier League club Chelsea alongside teammates Luke Summerfield and Scott Sinclair. That same year, he was recognized for his burgeoning talent, being named The Herald's Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2007.
1.3. Everton
In January 2008, Gosling signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Premier League team Everton, a move that occurred just days after Everton's Lukas Jutkiewicz was loaned to Plymouth Argyle. He made his first-team debut for Everton in a 1-0 away victory against Middlesbrough on 26 December 2008. Two days later, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3-0 victory over Sunderland at Goodison Park. Following this goal, he received a standing ovation from his teammates in the dressing room, signaling his immediate impact.
His most memorable moment with Everton came on 4 February 2009, when he entered as a substitute and scored the decisive goal in the 118th minute of an FA Cup fourth-round replay against crosstown rivals Liverpool at Goodison Park. This dramatic winner was infamously missed by millions of television viewers due to an error by live broadcasters ITV, including Gosling's own mother, Hilary. Despite the broadcasting mishap, the goal against Liverpool was voted Everton's 'Goal of the Season' by the club's fans. He later went on to play in the 2009 FA Cup Final, coming on as a second-half substitute.
During the 2009-10 season, Gosling was mostly a substitute for league games but was a regular starter in League Cup and Europa League matches. He scored impressive goals against strong teams like Manchester United. However, his season was cut short in March 2010 when he suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament after a collision with Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, sidelining him for nine months and ending his season.
1.3.1. Contract Negotiations and Exit
Negotiations for a contract extension with Everton began in May 2009, with Gosling publicly stating "there's no other club I'd rather be at." Despite his desire to stay, no agreement was reached, and his contract expired on 30 June 2010. During these negotiations, Gosling was represented by David Hodgson, a solicitor and former professional footballer.
On 6 July 2010, the Daily Mirror reported that a PFCC tribunal's decision allowed Gosling to leave Everton as a free agent under the Bosman ruling, meaning no compensation would be paid by any club that signed him. Everton had been required to submit a contract with better terms than his existing one to Gosling before a 30 May deadline to be eligible for compensation from any English club interested in signing him. The compensation amount had been reported to be as high as 4.00 M GBP.
The PFCC tribunal's ruling was based on Everton's contract offer being verbally arranged rather than in writing. Had the offer been formalized in writing, Everton would have been entitled to compensation if Gosling moved to another English club (but not a non-English one), as he was under 24 years of age at the time. This tribunal decision also meant that Gosling's previous club, Plymouth Argyle, would not receive any sell-on clause payments from his Everton contract. Furthermore, as his playing contract had expired, neither Everton nor Plymouth were entitled to solidarity contributions, despite the player being registered with their clubs before he turned 23. This situation unfolded as Plymouth Argyle entered administration during the season, compounding the financial implications.
1.4. Newcastle United
On 22 July 2010, Gosling signed a four-year contract with Newcastle United, receiving the number 15 shirt. His first season with the club saw him make only a single appearance due to a persistent knee problem, which required surgery in February 2011. He made his debut for Newcastle in a derby match against Sunderland in January 2011. Following this, he continued to be plagued by injury and ended his first season prematurely.
In the subsequent seasons, he primarily made substitute appearances, finding it difficult to break into the starting lineup due to the established midfield partnership of Cheick Tioté and Yohan Cabaye. However, after Cabaye's departure in January 2014, Gosling began to feature more regularly until the end of the season. His sole goal for Newcastle United came on 19 November 2011, in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City, a match that ended Newcastle's unbeaten start to the 2011-12 season. This goal made him the 100th player to score for Newcastle in the Premier League.
1.4.1. Blackpool Loan
On 4 October 2013, during his spell at Newcastle, Gosling signed a three-month loan deal with Blackpool. He returned to Newcastle in January 2014, having made 14 appearances during his loan spell at the Championship club.
1.5. AFC Bournemouth
On 16 May 2014, after his contract with Newcastle expired, Gosling agreed to a four-year contract with Championship club AFC Bournemouth. Initially, he found it challenging to secure a regular starting spot in the league due to the strong midfield partnership of Harry Arter and Andrew Surman. Gosling reflected on this period, stating, "On my first day here, I saw the quality and it took me by surprise a little. I didn't play a lot because the team was performing so well and it was the same for Adam Smith and Junior Stanislas. I made one start in the Championship season which, out of 46 games, was quite incredible really."
Despite limited league starts, Gosling embarked on an impressive scoring run in the League Cup, netting 5 goals in 5 appearances. He concluded his debut season with Bournemouth having made 24 total appearances as the Cherries achieved promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history.
1.5.1. Premier League Years
Gosling played a much more significant role in the Cherries' maiden Premier League season, making 37 appearances across all competitions. He scored his first league goal for the club on 26 August 2015, in a 2-1 away loss to Stoke City. His second goal of the season came on 21 November 2015, in a 2-2 away draw against Swansea City, which helped Bournemouth break a four-match losing streak. Gosling scored his third and final Premier League goal of that season in an impressive 3-0 home win over fellow promoted side Norwich City on 16 January 2016. Bournemouth finished 16th in the league, successfully avoiding relegation, marking a successful second season for Gosling at the club.
He began the 2016-17 season as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat against West Ham United on 21 August 2016. His first goal of that season came on 20 September in a dramatic 3-2 EFL Cup defeat to Preston North End, marking his seventh League Cup goal for Bournemouth. On 15 October, he scored Bournemouth's final goal in a dominant 6-1 victory over Hull City, contributing to the Cherries' third consecutive home win in the Premier League. He scored again on 4 November against Sunderland at Vitality Stadium. In his second Premier League season, Gosling helped Bournemouth achieve their highest-ever top-flight finish, securing 9th place.
In July 2017, Gosling signed a new four-year contract extension, committing him to the club until the summer of 2021. Bournemouth had a challenging start to the 2017-18 season, winning only two of their first ten league matches. On 21 December 2017, Gosling scored in a 2-1 Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea. Five days later, he contributed a goal and an assist in a thrilling 3-3 draw against West Ham United, marking his first Premier League goal since November 2016. He scored the equalizer in a 2-2 draw against his former club, Newcastle United, on 24 February 2018. Despite a difficult start, Bournemouth avoided relegation, finishing 12th in the Premier League.
In the 2018-19 season, Gosling made 26 appearances across all competitions. He started the season's opening match against Cardiff City on 11 August 2018, contributing to a 2-0 home victory. Following a match against Arsenal in November 2018, Gosling sustained a knee injury that kept him out for a month. He returned to action on 3 January 2019, in a 3-3 draw against Watford at Vitality Stadium. He scored his first goal of the season, and his first in almost a year, on 13 April in a commanding 5-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion. Two weeks later, he scored again against Southampton.
Gosling missed the start of the 2019-20 season due to a hip injury that required surgery in July 2019, ruling him out for three months. He returned from injury on 23 November, coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers. He scored the only goal in a crucial victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 14 December. Two weeks later, he again scored the Cherries' only goal in a 1-1 draw against Arsenal. His final goal of the season came on 2 July 2020, in a 4-1 home defeat to Newcastle United. At the end of the season, after five years in the Premier League, the Cherries were relegated to the EFL Championship after finishing 18th, just one point from safety.
In the 2020-21 season, Gosling's regular playing time diminished. He made 18 appearances but only started 9 times. His goals for the season came in October 2020, when he scored a brace against Coventry City. In January 2021, after six and a half years at Dean Court, Gosling left Bournemouth to join Watford. During his tenure with Bournemouth, he made 192 appearances across all competitions, scoring 22 goals for the Cherries.
1.6. Watford
On 31 January 2021, Gosling signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Watford for an undisclosed fee. He made his debut two weeks later in a dominant 6-0 victory against Bristol City. He scored his first goal for Watford on 16 March 2021, in a 4-1 win against Rotherham United. His second goal for the club came on 20 April in a 1-0 victory over Norwich City. In his first season with the Hornets, Gosling helped the club secure promotion back to the Premier League after their previous season's relegation.
In his first Premier League season with Watford, Gosling often clashed with the coaching staff and made only 6 appearances across all competitions, four of which were in the league. Watford ultimately finished 19th, 15 points adrift of safety, and were relegated again.
Gosling openly criticized the club's internal dynamics, stating he was excluded from first-team training throughout the season. He lamented, "I think the attitudes were disgraceful. There were a lot of bad eggs in here and that's why we went down. It wasn't about ability. Maybe some players didn't reach the levels they could, but it was individual attitudes that got to us. It was a disgrace, the worst changing room I've ever been involved in. So, now we're clearing it all out and trying to build something new, it's really refreshing."
He also fiercely criticized Claudio Ranieri's tenure at the club, describing the Italian manager and his staff as "miserable" during their four months at Watford. Gosling stated, "The time with Ranieri was just awful. The training we were doing, the mood they created, the staff that came with him - it was just miserable. They were miserable, and it made it miserable. I'm shocked they lasted four months to be honest. I've been in football a long time, and so have some of the lads in the squad, and that was as bad as it could have been."
In the subsequent season, he played more frequently, making 18 appearances before suffering an injury. Despite this, Watford and Gosling mutually agreed to terminate his contract early in March 2023.
1.7. Notts County
On 6 November 2023, Gosling joined League Two club Notts County on a short-term deal that lasted until 6 January 2024. He made his debut one day later against Lincoln City in the EFL Trophy. On 2 December, he provided an assist in a 3-2 defeat against Shrewsbury Town. He departed the club at the end of his contract.
1.8. Westfield
On 13 June 2024, Gosling joined Mid Sussex Football League Premier Division side Westfield, a club owned by his former Bournemouth teammate Steve Cook. This move marked his final period as a professional player, leading to his implied retirement from professional football as he transitioned into a coaching role.
2. International Career
Gosling earned his first international call-up to the England Under-17s squad for the UEFA European Under-17 Championship Qualifying Round in Bosnia at the end of March 2007, following his strong performances for Plymouth Argyle. He was also included in the England U17 squad for the 2007 European Championships in Belgium. England finished as runners-up in that tournament, which qualified them for the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup, and Gosling was part of the tournament squad. He was subsequently promoted to the England U19 squad for the 2008 European Championships.
In the summer of 2009, Gosling was selected for the final squad participating in the U19 European Championship and started in every game. He scored a goal against Ukraine in a group stage match, giving England the lead, though Ukraine later equalized for a 2-2 draw. England finished the tournament as runners-up to Ukraine after losing in the final.
Gosling received his first call-up to the England U21 squad as a replacement for his injured clubmate Jack Rodwell. He was named as a substitute in Stuart Pearce's 18-man squad for the qualifier matches against Portugal on 14 November and Lithuania three days later in November 2009. He made his debut in the match against Portugal, coming on as an extra-time substitute for Fabian Delph.
3. Coaching Career
On 23 May 2024, Gosling returned to his former club Watford to take on the role of Under-21 Assistant Coach. In this capacity, he works alongside Under-21 manager Charlie Daniels, who was a former teammate of Gosling's at AFC Bournemouth.
4. Personal Life
Daniel Gosling is married and has three children.
In a publicly known incident, Gosling was charged with misconduct under Rule E8(b) of the Football Association's (FA) regulations, which pertains to players betting on football matches. On 10 March 2014, Gosling admitted to "multiple breaches" of this rule and requested a personal hearing to address his case.
5. Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Plymouth Argyle | 2006-07 | Championship | 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 14 | 2 | ||
| 2007-08 | Championship | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 0 | |||
| Total | 22 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | ||
| Everton | 2007-08 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008-09 | Premier League | 11 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 17 | 3 | ||
| 2009-10 | Premier League | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | - | 20 | 3 | ||
| Total | 22 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 6 | ||
| Newcastle United | 2010-11 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2011-12 | Premier League | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 16 | 1 | |||
| 2012-13 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2013-14 | Premier League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 10 | 0 | ||
| Total | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 1 | ||
| Blackpool (loan) | 2013-14 | Championship | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 14 | 2 | ||
| AFC Bournemouth | 2014-15 | Championship | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | - | - | 24 | 5 | ||
| 2015-16 | Premier League | 34 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 38 | 4 | |||
| 2016-17 | Premier League | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 31 | 3 | |||
| 2017-18 | Premier League | 28 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 31 | 3 | |||
| 2018-19 | Premier League | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 26 | 2 | |||
| 2019-20 | Premier League | 24 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 25 | 3 | |||
| 2020-21 | Championship | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 18 | 2 | |||
| Total | 171 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 193 | 21 | ||
| Watford | 2020-21 | Championship | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 2 | ||
| 2021-22 | Premier League | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 6 | 1 | |||
| 2022-23 | Championship | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 18 | 0 | |||
| Total | 34 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 3 | ||
| Notts County | 2023-24 | League Two | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Career total | 293 | 26 | 16 | 1 | 26 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 348 | 35 | ||
6. Honours
Everton
- FA Cup runner-up: 2008-09
AFC Bournemouth
- Football League Championship: 2014-15
England U19
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship runner-up: 2009
Individual
- Everton Goal of the Season: 2008-09