Emerson Thome - Player Profile

Emerson arrived at the JJB Stadium on a free transfer from Bolton Wanderers on 4th August 2004.

The Brazilian signed a two-year contract and followed his Reebok Stadium team mate of the previous season, Per Frandsen, to Wigan.

He made his Latics League debut on 21st August 2004 against Brighton and Hove Albion at the JJB Stadium, replacing Ian Breckin late in the game which the Blues won 3-0.

Throughout most of the campaign he struggled with injuries and at the end of the campaign he had made 11+4 League appearances without scoring.

He goes down in Latics folklore by being a member of the squad that saw Latics gain promotion by the end of the campaign.

On 27th October 2005 he joined Derby County on loan after failing to break into the first team due to the excellent for of Stephane Henchoz and Arjan De Zeeuw.

He had made 2 League Cup appearances but his ex coach at Bolton Wanderers, Phil Brown, then manager of the Rams, offered him the chance of first team football and after a two week wait Paul Jewell sanctioned the move.

He made just 3+1 League appearances without scoring whilst at Pride Park, returning to the JJB Stadium on the eve of their Carling Cup Fourth round clash with Newcastle United at home.

Thome was in the ‘reserve’ team that promptly went on and beat the Magpies strongest possible team - 1-0!

Unfortunately he broke his cheek bone on the half hour mark and took no further part in a quite outstanding game, which turned out to be the last for the club.

On 7th February 2006 he left the JJB Stadium amicably after having agreed with manager Paul Jewell to have his contract paid up. He finished his career in Japan with J2 outfit Vissel Kobe.

A bit of Emerson Thome trivia - did you know that on Boxing Day 1999 Emerson was part of the Chelsea team that beat Southampton 2-1 at the Dell?

The amazing thing about that day was the fact that Chelsea’s team consisted of ALL foreign players and they became the first such team to play a League game in the history of the English Football League.