Ex Saints goalkeeper Neil Moss has been forced to retire

Former Saint Neil Moss has been forced to hang up his goalkeeping gloves through injury.

Moss, 33, has been struggling after fracturing the scaphoid in his right wrist during the warm-up ahead of AFC Bournemouth's League One clash at Cheltenham in January.

And despite over three month's in plaster, a scan last week revealed the break had still failed to heal, leaving Moss to admit retiring was the "only decision" available to him.

"The surgeon said there was nothing he could do," said Moss in an interview.

Moss who joined Saints aged 20 was a popular figure at St Mary's and many believed that he would become a fixture in between the posts for Saints after the departure of Dave Beasant, however the arrival of Dave Jones and the subsequent signing of Paul Jones stunted Moss's   progress, it became clear that Jones would play Jones whatever his form and although Moss came in and did well whenever called upon, he could rarely hold his place for more than a few games before Paul Jones was brought back.

Perhaps his best spell came in the Great Escape season when he managed six games in a row as Saints hauled themselves to safety, but a clean sheet at Derby followed by a 2-1 win against Leicester was not enough to keep him in the team and Jones returned for the final two games.

Moss stayed at Saints till 2003 when he returned to Bournemouth permanently in February of that year, although he had been on loan for most of the season.

Surprisingly in his eight years at the club, he played only 23 games for the club plus 2 as a sub, he really should have played more.

All Saints fans would wish Moss all the best for the future and hope that he can remain in the game in some capacity. 

Photo: Action Images

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