A former Arsenal striker who played for England at youth level is facing jail for orchestrating a £600,000 drug-smuggling plot.

The 34-year-old was arrested at his home after 60kg of the drug was found in bags arriving at London Stansted Airport on September 2 last year.

Emmanuel-Thomas was sacked by Scottish club Greenock Morton after being charged.

Having played for Arsenal’s first team just once, he went on to play for 15 clubs – including a spell at PTT Rayong FC in Thailand after leaving Queens Park Rangers in 2019.

The father-of-two will be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court at a later date after pleading guilty to the offence in May.

Investigating officers believe Emmanuel-Thomas was “the intermediary between suppliers in Thailand and drug pushers in the UK”.

Emmanuel-Thomas pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of the prohibition on the importation of cannabis between July 1, 2024 and September 2, 2024.

The footballer, whose former clubs also include Ipswich Town, Livingston and Aberdeen, was remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing on a date to be fixed.