Emanuelson is a product of Ajax's youth system, joining them from Voorland SC. He made his debut during the 2004–05 season on 10 April2005 in a 4–2 home win over AZ. As of the 2005–06 season, he became first-choice left back and he won his first career trophies, starting with the 2005 Johan Cruyff Shield and the 2005–06 KNVB Cup. As a result, his efforts he was named "Amsterdam talent of the year 2006". Both the Johan Cruyff Shield and KNVB Cup were successfully defended in the 2006–07 season, with the former won for the third consecutive year at the start of the 2007–08 season. In his last season at Ajax, Emanuelson primarily played as a left midfielder because of his weak defending abilities. He flourished in his new role on the left wing, frequently making runs and assisting from the flanks while scoring goals himself. In the 2009–10 season, Emanuelson won the KNVB Cup for the third time in his career.
Milan
On 23 January2011, Italian Serie A club Milan announced the signing of Emanuelson on a three-and-a-half-year contract for a transfer fee of around €1.7 million. After the 2010–11 season, the fee increased by €750,000, making a total fee of around €2.5 million. Emanuelson made his debut for the club on 26 January 2011 in a Coppa Italia match against Sampdoria, providing an assist for Alexandre Pato. Milan won the match 2–1. He played his first game in Serie A after entering as a substitute against Catania. Emanuelson scored his first goal for Milan in a Coppa Italia match against Palermo, the equaliser in a 2–2 draw. He helped Milan win their first Scudetto in seven years at the end of the season, acting mostly as a substitute. He also won the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana. Emanuelson scored his first Serie A goal for Milan in an away match against Cesena on 19 February 2012. He scored his second Serie A goal for Milan in an away game against Parma on 17 March 2012.
Emanuelson returned to Holland in summer 2017, after signing a one-year contract with FC Utrecht.
International career
Emanuelson was a member of the Dutch squad playing at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2005, held in Netherlands. The Dutch were eliminated in the quarter-final against Nigeria. He also was a member of the Dutch squad that won the UEFA U-21 Championship in 2006 and was named in the UEFA Team of the Tournament as a left back. The last major tournament he played was the 2008 Summer Olympics where the team was eliminated in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Argentina. On 16 August 2006, Emanuelson made his debut for the Netherlands senior team in a friendly match against the Republic of Ireland. Despite playing for the Netherlands occasionally during the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2008, he was not selected in the final squad that would participate in the tournament itself.
