Jay Emmanuel-Thomas signed for Arsenal when he was only 8-years-old, and was part of the Academy team which also included fellow professional footballers Jack Wilshere and Emmanuel Frimpong. While at Arsenal, Emmanuel-Thomas was usually deployed as a centre-forward, but he was also utilised in other positions, such as centre midfield and full-back. He signed his first professional contract with Arsenal in 2008, and was tipped to be a future Arsenal and England star by a number of pundits and journalists.
Although he was a popular figure within the Arsenal youth team (he was made captain after signing his first professional contract), he only played 66 minutes of competitive football for Arsenal, despite the fact that he was rated highly by Arsene Wenger, who called him a "great player". After loan spells at Blackpool, Doncaster Rovers and Cardiff City and a lack of first-team opportunities, the London-born forward joined Championship outfit Ipswich Town in July 2012. While at Portman Road, Emmanuel-Thomas' form fluctuated between poor and okay, and rarely showed what he could really do. In 70 appearances for the Tractor Boys, the now 23-year-old scored a total of eight goals.
In July 2013, Emmanuel-Thomas signed for League One team Bristol City, in a deal which saw winger Paul Anderson move to Ipswich. Emmanel-Thomas' Bristol City career started well, with a debut goal against Bradford City. To this day, the player is playing for The Robins. Although relatively popular with the fans, he has certainly not realised his full potential yet, and has only scored 14 goals in 49 games, which, in League One, is poor for a player of his calibre. Emmanuel-Thomas, however, is only 23-years-old, so he has plenty of time to improve and showcase his true ability, hopefully in a far more challenging League.