Ex-West Ham and Reading player jailed for drug crime given order by judge | OneFootball

Thierry Nevers had significant potential as a youngster, but he's now landed himself in big trouble

Former West Ham and Reading prospect Thierry Nevers has been handed a fresh order by a Crown Court judge - eight months after he was sentenced to three years in prison.

After a brief, modest time on loan at a couple of EFL clubs, Nevers went abroad in 2024 in search of more regular football, but disaster struck for his life last August when he was arrested and charged with conspiracy to supply cocaine.

New action taken over jailed ex-EFL forward Thierry Nevers

Four months later, Nevers was handed his sentence after police found evidence of drug dealing on his phone, with some of his social media content revealing him bragging about his dealing as well, whilst Nevers' accomplice, Lincolnshire-based Allan Barrass, was slapped with a 10-year jail sentence for drug and firearm offences.

But it may not end there for the former footballer, who now needs to co-operate further with an investigation involving his finances.

During a proceeds of crime hearing at Lincoln Crown Court, the 24-year-old has been told that forensic accounting evidence relating to his charges is missing, and whilst the case has been adjourned until October 2, Nevers was informed that he needs to work with his solicitor to establish his financial gains.

Whilst Nevers' gains from his illegal activities are not known, the aforementioned Barrass was claimed to have made £221,028 from his work, with realisable assets of £13,746.

Thierry Nevers' football career did not work out as planned

Some expected Nevers to go on to bigger and better things when he came through the Royals academy as a youngster, and the forward was snapped up by Premier League outfit West Ham in 2021 after scoring nine times at Premier League 2 level.

His time at the London Stadium did not go to plan though. Nevers never made an appearance for the East London outfit, instead going on to make his professional debut on loan at Newport County in League Two, where he appeared 12 times in a short temporary stint in South Wales.

Nevers would finish the 2022-23 campaign on loan at Bradford City gaining more experience, but his time at West Ham was cut short in 2024, when he made an unexpected move to Moldovan outfit Sheriff Tiraspol.

A few months later though, after barely featuring for Tiraspol, Nevers was on the move again, this time to Varazdin of Croatia, but it would be another club the forward would not be seen much whatsoever, playing just two league games in one season before his exit.

Thierry Nevers downfall is a stark reminder of footballer careers going wrong

Despite being tipped for big things as a youngster, Nevers never truly kicked on from the expectations that some had of him - perhaps he could not handle the pressure of becoming a top football.

Not many make it big in the game, and a really small percentage only really 'make it' in the EFL too, even at its lower reaches, but two League Two loan stints failed to bring the best out of the forward's game.

Evidently, Nevers' life went down a different path after a move overseas to Eastern Europe failed to bring regular game-time, and he's now being punished for that.