Emley AFC have completed the signing of striker Jaanai Gordon, a player whose career spans the Football League and beyond, bringing proven quality and experience to the squad ahead of the new season.

The 29-year-old forward arrives with an impressive footballing CV, having started his professional journey with Peterborough United before sealing a move to West Ham United as a teenager. He later featured for a number of clubs across the EFL and non-league pyramid, including spells at Cheltenham Town, Newport County, and Sligo Rovers, before more recent stints with the likes of Banbury United, Hereford, Brackley Town, and Belper Town.

Jaanai's arrival at the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground marks an exciting chapter for both the player and the club. In his own words, Gordon says he is ready to bring his top-level experience to the Emley dressing room:

"I've had a love of football since before I could walk. I was already kicking balls around in my nan’s back garden. My cousin tackled me when I was two or three and broke my foot! But I’ve always loved the game," he said.

Jaanai’s breakthrough came early. He was training with Peterborough’s first team at just 15, making his Championship debut before turning 16.

"That experience set the foundation. Then West Ham came calling and I was there for three years. I trained with the first team but wasn’t getting the game time I wanted, so I had an honest chat with Slaven Bilić and decided to drop down a few leagues to rebuild my senior profile."

His career has been marked by resilience, especially during a tough period where he suffered a series of major injuries:

"After joining Cheltenham in League Two, I did my ACL and LCL early on. I worked hard to come back, but then I ruptured my Achilles. I was out for just under two years. That was a real test."

Since then, Gordon has become a prominent figure in non-league football. Now based in Huddersfield, he explained how the move to Emley came about:

"We moved up North at the end of last summer, my partner’s from Bradford originally, and most of her family are back here now. I’ve been travelling a lot between the North and South for football, but the commuting started to take its toll."

"I first spoke to Richard [Tracey] at the end of last season. We stayed in contact and now it just feels like the right time. I’ve been in and around the club during pre-season, and I can feel it’s a good place. There’s a real community here."

Though new to Emley, Gordon is no stranger to facing tough opposition and he impressed on his debut at the weekend against Huddersfield Town.

He said: "I didn’t know much about Emley before, but I played against them with Belper. After meeting Richard, seeing the facilities, and hearing about the history including that West Ham match in ‘98 I knew it was a club with ambition."

The striker is known for his all-round play and physical presence up front.

On his attributes he commented: "I can do both sides of the striker’s game. I hold the ball up, link play, use my strength, but I’ve also got pace and I like running in behind. I enjoy facing up defenders, mixing it up. I like to think I bring a bit of everything."

When asked about his ambitions for the season, Jaanai set clear targets: "I’ve said minimum 20 goals in all competitions across the season. That’s my baseline. I’ve only played about 10–12 games in this league so far, so I’m looking forward to putting in a full season and contributing with goals and assists."

He’s also eager to repay the Emley faithful, who are known for their strong support home and away: "The fans are massive, we need them behind us. Their energy really helps drive the team. I can’t wait to get going."

With a successful pre-season under way and Gordon already bedding in with the squad, Emley AFC look well-placed to build on last season’s momentum and with a striker of Gordon’s calibre now in Claret and Blue, hopes of promotion are firmly in sight.

"I’ve seen the quality in the squad already, how we train, the commitment, and the ability. There’s no reason we can’t be pushing for promotion this season.”

Welcome to Emley, Jaanai Gordon.

You can sponsor Jaanai for the season both home and away on our club shop