Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has surprised fans as he signs for non league club AFC Totton after being released from prison on parole.
He served ten months of a four-year sentence for his role in a £600,000 cannabis smuggling operation, having been arrested in September 2024 after the National Crime Agency seized 60kg of cannabis at Stansted Airport.
Jay pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of cannabis importation, after the drugs were smuggled by two women he recruited.
Following his release last week, Emmanuel-Thomas, pleaded to try and rejoin Scottish Championship side Greenock Morton, who sacked him following his arrest last year.
He played the first 45 minutes of Totton’s pre-season friendly against Weymouth on Tuesday night, subbed off at half time with the scoreline goalless, before Totton’s Malachi Linton grabbed a winner in the 77th minute.
NEW SIGNING 🦌💙
We are absolutely delighted to welcome Jay Emmanuel-Thomas to the club.
Jay joins us with a wealth of experience in the Championship and we’re sure his goals will lead to a successful season here on the South Coast! #GoStags🦌 pic.twitter.com/Ud7apzoP69
— AFC Totton ⚽️🦌 (@AFCTotton) July 22, 2025
Here he is… 👀🦌💙
Welcome Jay! #GoStags🦌 pic.twitter.com/woxG1RfCuv
— AFC Totton ⚽️🦌 (@AFCTotton) July 22, 2025
CLUB STATEMENT:
AFC Totton are delighted to announce the signing of versatile forward, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas!
The 34-year-old began his career in the academy of The Gunners, Arsenal, where he captained their U18’s side to FA Youth Cup glory in 2009! Just shortly after teat success, he was handed his senior debut by none other than Arsene Wenger!
During his time at Arsenal, Jay had three loan spells at Blackpool, Doncaster and Cardiff where he established himself as an EFL level forward.
Moving away from Arsenal, Emmanuel-Thomas joined Ipswich from 2011-2013, playing in 71 matches for The Tractor Boys and he became a fan-favourite. This was followed by a transfer to Bristol City where he played a further 82 games, scoring 24 goals and lifting a League One title and EFL trophy double!
He has experience playing in Thailand, India as well as Scotland where he most recently played.
Jay will bring his powerful presence and exceptional technical ability to The Snows Stadium for AFC Totton’s first season in the Enterprise National League South!
If you would like to sponsor Emmanuel-Thomas for this upcoming season, please email salesandmarketing@afctotton.com
#GoStags
He posted on social media: “Apologies to all affiliated with Greenock Morton.
“I let you guys down big time, hopefully you can forgive me.
“If the chance comes along I will right my wrongs but that will be up to the club, if it does not I wish you all the best and thank you.”
Judge Alexander Mills said at the time: “It is through your own actions you will no longer be known as a professional footballer.
“You will be known as a criminal. A professional footballer who threw it all away.”
Meanwhile, Emmanuel-Thomas was jailed for four years for his involvement in a £600,000 drug smuggling plot after a court heard his financial difficulties after a period out of contract led to a “catastrophic error of judgment”.
The drugs were found in two suitcases brought from Bangkok, Thailand, via Dubai by two women, Yasmin Piotrowska (his girlfriend) and her friend Rosie Rowland, who believed they were importing gold.
Emmanuel-Thomas pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on cannabis importation between July 1st and September 2nd, 2024, at Chelmsford Crown Court.
The 34 year old must serve a minimum of 19 months in custody.
He said it “became apparent this defendant, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, had been involved in their recruitment to travel to Thailand”.
He noted that the footballer “had played a few games, 11 in total, for a club in Thailand”.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas pleads guilty to role in £600,000 drug smuggling plot
The barrister said JET had “some awareness and understanding of the scale of the operation” and was acting in an “operational management function” in the plot, while also pointing out the defendant’s “relationship with Ms Piotrowska” when describing the recruitment of the two women.
Alex Rose, for Emmanuel-Thomas, said: “The financial gain in this case for Mr Emmanuel-Thomas was £5,000.”
He said the defendant was a father of two and had made a “catastrophic error of judgment” and a “period of being out of contract led to very significant financial hard times” and he “succumbed to temptation”.
“Although he had previously experienced periods of being in between contracts or – putting it another way – being unemployed as a footballer, they had largely been on the back of fairly lucrative long-term contracts,” said Mr Rose.
He said the “situation was rather different in the background to this”.
“Having been out of contract prior to signing for Greenock Morton, he had a brief contract with Kidderminster Harriers but that was very much a short-term contract, almost to try to assist someone he had a good relationship with,” he said.
Rose continued: “His football career is finished and that’s something he has brought entirely on himself.
“It’s a devastating blow for somebody who had such promise and such an impressive football career.”
Judge Alexander Mills, sentencing Emmanuel-Thomas, said: “It’s through your own action that you will no longer be known for playing professional football.
“You will be known as a criminal. A professional footballer who threw it all away.”
The judge said Emmanuel-Thomas had played five games for Greenock Morton and was on a £600 per week contract at the time of the incident.
The defendant was accused of orchestrating a scheme to import cannabis by recruiting his girlfriend and her friend, disguising the operation as a luxurious holiday in Thailand, complete with business class flights and hotel accommodations.
He discussed maximizing their time on Ko Samui. During sentencing, he remained expressionless and acknowledged the public gallery as he was taken to the cells.
The two women involved, Ms. Piotrowska and Ms. Rowland, denied the charges, claiming they believed they were importing gold, not cannabis.
Prosecutors dropped the case against them, and not guilty verdicts were recorded.
Former Arsenal striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been jailed for four years after Border Force found 60kg of cannabis in luggage carried by two women he recruited.
An @NCA_UK investigation revealed he orchestrated the smuggling of £600k worth of cannabis from Thailand into the UK. pic.twitter.com/Y1B1OjCuaC
— Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) June 9, 2025
