Jay Emmanuel-Thomas hadn’t kicked a competitive ball for 18 months prior to Saturday – but the former Arsenal man was happy to get 90 minutes on his Livingston debut.
JET made his first Lions appearance during a 2-1 win over Alloa. He grabbed an assist as Gary Holt’s side mounted a second 45 comeback, the Arsenal academy product key to their attacking endeavours.
The last time Emmanuel-Thomas played a competitive match was with Thai side PTT Rayong in the early stages of 2019. He was only supposed to get 60 minutes on Saturday, but Holt gave him the full match.
It may have been hard graft for the striker but he says he’s just delighted to be back on the pitch: “The gaffer lied to me. He told me I would only play an hour then he says ‘You’re looking alright’ and I said ‘Yeah, I feel sharp’.
“I didn’t expect to play the full game. Then I saw the substitutes board go up and it wasn’t my number so I’m thinking, 90 it is then! But that will be good for me in the long run, to get more minutes in the legs.
“I’ve done my fair share. I’ve tried to do what I can while I’ve been here so hopefully I can hopefully get full match sharpness for upcoming league games. Being involved in that first goal was good for me on the first day.
“It was just fantastic to be out there and to be involved in such a good performance, especially in the second half. It’s been a long time coming and to get the win was a great feeling.
“I’m getting up to the sharpness of the game and competitive football again. There is a lot more to come from me. This is just the beginning.”