▁loan ed ▁to ▁St ir ling ▁Alb ion ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁and ▁then ▁sold ▁to ▁Green ock ▁Mort on ▁later ▁that ▁year . ▁Thomas ▁found ▁some ▁form ▁at ▁Mort on , ▁scoring ▁ 1 2 ▁goals ▁in ▁ 2 5 ▁league ▁games . ▁Sand y ▁Clark , ▁Thomas ' ▁former ▁manager ▁at ▁He arts , ▁signed ▁Thomas ▁for ▁St ▁John stone ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁for ▁a ▁fee ▁of ▁£ 1 5 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Later ▁career ▁Thomas ▁had ▁suffered ▁a ▁cru ci ate ▁lig ament ▁injury ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁which ▁meant ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁under go ▁an ▁operation ▁to ▁repair ▁the ▁lig ament . ▁He ▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁be ▁un available ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 – 0 1 ▁season . ▁However , ▁following ▁a ▁c oca ine ▁arrest ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁Thomas ▁was ▁s ack ed ▁by ▁St ▁John stone , ▁along ▁with ▁team - mate ▁George ▁O ' Bo yle . ▁ ▁After ▁recover ing ▁from ▁a ▁kne e ▁injury , ▁Thomas ▁signed ▁short ▁term ▁de als ▁with ▁lower ▁league ▁clubs ▁Mont rose ▁and ▁Ber wick ▁R angers ▁during ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 – 0 2 ▁season . ▁After ▁leaving ▁Ber wick , ▁he ▁played ▁for ▁Edinburgh ▁Athlet ic ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁of ▁Scotland ▁Football ▁League ▁and ▁worked ▁for ▁an ▁hotel ▁book ing ▁ag ency ▁run ▁by ▁his ▁mother . ▁ ▁References