FORMER Morton footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has denied a charge of importing class B drugs as he appeared in court accused over an attempt to smuggle £600,000 of cannabis through Stansted Airport.

The 33-year-old striker was sacked by Morton after his arrest last month.

The former Livingston, Aberdeen and Arsenal academy product appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court by video-link from HMP Durham on Friday when he pleaded not guilty to importing class B drugs.

He is accused, together with co-defendants Rosie Rowland and Yasmin Piotrowska, of the alleged offence between July 1 and September 2 of this year.

Rowland, 28, of Southend Road, Chelmsford, and 33-year-old Piotrowska, of Purves Road, north-west London, both also pleaded not guilty to the charge as they appeared in the dock of the court.

Emmanuel-Thomas, formerly of Cardwell Road, was arrested in Gourock by National Crime Agency officers on September 18.

He was remanded in custody following an initial appearance at Carlisle Magistrates’ Court the following day.

Deputy district judge Steven Jonas had ruled at the Carlisle hearing that the case was too serious to be dealt with at a magistrates’ court.

The dad-of-two, who captained Arsenal to Youth Cup final success in 2009, wore a grey prison-issue tracksuit and was seated for Friday's court hearing.

He spoke only to confirm his name and his not guilty plea.

Emmanuel-Thomas’s appearance in court followed the arrest of two women, aged 28 and 32, at Stansted on September 2.

Benjamin Burge, prosecuting, told the court on Friday that a trial, expected to last for between five and seven days, had been set down for May next year.

His arrest came after the NCA seized an estimated £600,000 of the class B drug as it was being smuggled through Stansted on September 2.

Border Force officers detected roughly 60kg of the drug in two suitcases, which had arrived via a flight from Bangkok, Thailand.

A trial, estimated to last five to seven days, is due to take place on a date to be fixed, with a further case management hearing scheduled for January 6.

Judge Christopher Morgan remanded Emmanuel-Thomas in custody and bailed Rowland and Piotrowska until then.

Emmanuel-Thomas was told he would be allowed to appear via video-link at the January hearing unless his defence team wishes him to appear in person.

Morton terminated Emmanuel-Thomas’s contract on the day of his initial court appearance in Carlisle.

He had been signed by the Cappielow club just 52 days earlier.

The towering frontman had previously played for Aberdeen and Livingston during a career which has also included spells with Ipswich Town, Bristol City and Queen’s Park Rangers as well as with PTT Rayong in Thailand and Indian club Jamshedpur.