Flowering gum – can you prune it for long term height control?

Got a flowering gum that has taken a few years to look like it actually wants to grow, it is spindly and about 2m high, I would like to try and keep the height down – is this possible? I don’t want to be fighting an 8m tree in 20 years- do i just get the secaturs out and go all espalier on it? cheers D