Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is loving life with the Tractor Boyz
MAN-of-the-moment Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is loving life with the Tractor Boyz.
The mercurial Ipswich frontman gave an exhilarating cameo in Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw with Birmingham City, rescuing a point for Town while continuing his personal battle with the Portman Road woodwork.
Off-the-pitch, he might exude coolness and a swagger befitting the rappers he often associates with – a world away from Suffolk’s farming heritage.
But that hasn’t stopped the 21-year-old from embracing his new county’s reputation as he prepares to play an even bigger part in next season’s anticipated promotion push.
Emmanuel-Thomas said: “I actually like the ‘Tractor Boys’ nickname – it is nice to be thought of like that. I have a good laugh at it, but I think it is a good one.”
The attacker’s comments are just further signs of him settling into life away from the capital after joining from Arsenal last summer.
After a slow start, he has quickly won fans over giving another taste of his skills at Portman Road on Tuesday night.
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The former Arsenal man, who constantly refers to the Tractor Boys with a ‘Z’ on Twitter, took his place in the recent launch of next season’s home and away kit – an innovative video which saw the club return to its farming roots at Easton Farm Park.
And the JET appeal has clearly had a factor with more than 120,000 views of the launch video in an estimated 155 countries. There has even been a version translated into Polish.
Emmanuel-Thomas said: “I had a great laugh doing the video. I got a message saying I had been selected for the kit launch which was fine and cool. Then I got another text saying we were going to a farm to film the video.
“I didn’t know where we going or where the farm was and I wasn’t sure about all the different animals. It was a bit cold but a really enjoyable experience."