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Kidderminster surprise fans by signing 33 year old former Premier League and EFL player

Kidderminster Harriers surprise their fans by signing 33 year old former Premier League and EFL player Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.

He is someone who has loads of pedigree, experience and has shown his ability over the years, but he now enters the twilight years of his career and is now tasked with trying to help keep the club in the National League.

Kiddy currently find themselves 23rd in the table, with 33 points from 24 games played, just five points from safety.

CLUB STATEMENT:

PHIL Brown has landed another new recruit in the shape of experienced striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.

The former England U19 International, who counts Arsenal, Ipswich and Bristol City amongst his previous clubs, has been training with the squad for the last few weeks.

The 33-year-old brings with him a wealth of EFL experience, and has also played abroad in Thailand and India in recent seasons before spending time in Scotland.

Phil Brown said: “Jay is someone I have been trying to get a hold off for probably four or five years.

“I have watched him closely over the years… his presence is enormous, he’s a character, he’s got personality, and all of those things, he needs to bring to the party.

“We’ve really been putting some miles into him over the last couple of weeks [and] hopefully he’ll play some part in the games over the coming week.

“It’s a bit early to make any statements at the moment but I am delighted to have Jay on board.”

Welcome to Aggborough, Jay!

Interviewer: Jay normally I’d say welcome to Kidderminster but obviously you’ve had over the last few weeks a chance to have a long look at the place first what are your thoughts on what’s here?

Jay: Yeah no it’s been good obviously the everybody’s made me for welcome players staff and people around the stadium obviously I’ve watched a few games now and been involved in numerous training session so it’s been a good few weeks

Interviewer: And you’ve been able to assess the challenge on the pitch here kind of with an external eye I guess as you’ve not been involved in the games how do you assess the the predicament

Jay: It’s been good obviously I know it’s been a tough start to the season but see of recent has picked up some really good form with four wins and then obviously the last recent loss but that doesn’t determine how the rest of the season’s going to plan out and we’ve seen that there’s a good positivity around and obviously the manager brings in a certain type of vibe and energy and hoping that I can add to that and help us kick up the table

Interviewer: Yeah tell me about the manager from your perspective because he’s obviously put a lot of faith in it and investment time wise in yourself and and want you to succeed here just tell us about what he’s told you yeah just that obviously he knows what obviously I can bring I know what I can bring I’m a different type of striker to the ones that you already have um I might be a big frame but I’m also very technical and of ability to open doors and make things happen and that’s what I aim to do and produce over the course of the next 12 or 11 games of the season

Interviewer: And does it help that you’ve got a nice small frame to work with in the sense of not long to go in the season and everyone know knows what the the end goal is really

Jay: Yeah it’s just that obviously you got you we’ve got a target and our target is obviously the main thing is to make sure that nothing happens at the end of the season where we end up getting relegated or anything like that I’m here to pick up and gain as many points as possible with my attributes that I can provide for the team and we all aim to to give everybody as much as as we can for the the club and the fans and hopefully we can make it work

Interviewer: What’s it like been for you in terms of the challenge of of getting to the position where you are now because obviously it’s been a while since you played competitively and you’ve had to work hard to get to this point really that’s not easy midway through a season is it

Jay: Yeah no obviously it’s probably bit more difficult especially if you want to train and do extra so some days you feel a lot tired and body might be suffering from the extra gym sessions and stuff but at the end of the day it’s all down it’s all up to you to make it work and obviously it’s needed so as much as uh I want to be out there playing I know I got to have my body in the right condition first which I’ve been doing over the last few weeks

Interviewer: And in terms of approaching the challenge of playing at this level obviously you played exclusively almost your career a level much higher than this and in different countries as well how would you view non- League football

Jay: Football is still the same and obviously different levels different standards come with different methods and tactics and preparation um obviously Phil’s worked out a very high end um so he still has them high-end traits of a manager in terms of tactics and style of play um there’s boys here have played a levels so it’s all about trying to make everybody Jo and come together and if we can get that fluidity running through the team I think that we could have a good end to the season

Interviewer: You’ve talked about the team’s goals and how they’re very clear between now and the end of the season is it just game and hopefully goals for you

Jay: For me obviously the more goals I score the better it is for the team obviously they thrive on trying to keep clean sheets as best as they can and obviously if they can keep clean sheets or minimal goals going in at one end and we can capitalize on being effective in the final third at the other end it gives us the best opportunity

Interviewer: Oldham on Saturday obviously the start of and next little run difficult run away from home supposed to be a big crowd and a good atmosphere it sounds like the ingredients of of a game you’d like to takes from parting

Jay: Yeah obviously it’s always nice to be involved in your first game um obviously it would be very nice if it was a home game to be in front of the home fans but at the end of the day football’s football so if we’ve got I think we’ve got three away games on the trot so hopefully from them three away games we can pick up as many points as possible and come back here to Aggborough and then put on the show for the fans

JAY’S CAREER:

Youth career
1998–2008 – Arsenal

Senior career
2008–2011 – Arsenal – 5 games (0 goals)
2009 → Blackpool (loan) – 11 games (1 goals)
2010 → Doncaster Rovers (loan) – 14 games (5 goals)
2011 → Cardiff City (loan) – 16 games (2 goals)
2011–2013 – Ipswich Town – 76 games (9 goals)
2013–2015 – Bristol City – 103 games (33 goals)
2015–2018 – Queens Park Rangers – 15 games (5 goals)
2016 → Milton Keynes Dons (loan) – 4 games (0 goals)
2016–2017 → Gillingham (loan) – 35 games (10 goals)
2019 – PTT Rayong – 12 games (1 goal)
2020–2021 – Livingston – 31 games (9 goals)
2021–2022 – Aberdeen – 24 games (1 goal)
2022–2023 – Jamshedpur – 22 games (2 goals)
2024- Kidderminster Harriers

International career
2007–2008 – England U17 – 5 games (0 goals)
2008–2009 – England U19 – 2 games (0 goals)

As mentioned, Kidderminster surprise fans by signing the 33 year old former Premier League and EFL player…

@the_breeze_2000: God is he still going

@SteveyPerry: Well done on getting this one over the line. I gather it wasn’t plane sailing. Rumours we were having to stave off interest from Concord Rangers.

@LiamKHFC: Phil Brown and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas being a part of Kidderminster Harriers was not something I expected in 2024

@Fisher_WBAfc: Fuckin ell that’s a flash from the past

@LeeHarv80022159: Good luck he is one of the laziest players ever played for Gillingham

@Seb_ElJefe: Wat a signing this is by the way 🤌🏼

@TravisKHFC: The jet has landed

@William_Downs_: Sorry what 🤣🤣

@2_youngy: FM Hero for me!

@FreeNwakali: Finally found his level

@jackdddddddd: Proper football manager signing

@Scruffydog82: Let’s hope JET gets off to a flyer…was a good player once…seems to have struggled more recently. With 12 games left and 25% played over the next 8 days…..I’m not sure he has time to get upto speed.

@OnceADagger: Signing washed up free agents for a relegation scrap always goes well… All the best Phil hopefully see you never again

@ChrisBessex: What you’ve got to remember is he didn’t run around much in his prime, it’s the magic you’re bringing him in for. No idea what’s left in the legs but if there is something left in the hips, defenders will have to buy a ticket to get back in ✈️

@cheapmansvest: Good luck with that 😬

@dfitzger60: How much are you paying him… Good old Phil loves a bit of vintage..

@AyushAg444: The laziest player of the decade award winner 🏆 – Jay Emanuel Thomas

@Fin_Seath72: How the fuck has he let his career take him to this level. Blokes talent is unreal just can’t be bothered

@kezmcgurk: Hope he runs more for you than he did for us

@Nickhardysufc: Proper Phil Brown signing this

@BCFCJD: Looks like I’ll be heading down to Kidderminster in the next couple months then

@Fraz1903: Couldn’t score in a barrel eh fannies!

@Elons_Micropeen: A dosser without peer. Good luck to you!

@__jacklawrence: The most Phil brown signing you could get

@amyjayneaston: this is absolute peak Phil Brown

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