Unhappy London return for Jay Ajayi as New Orleans shut out Miami at Wembley

The NFL's highest profile Englishman was playing in the city of his birth for the first time and had been the focus of attention in the build-up

The Englishman was unable to make a difference for his side (Getty)

Jay Ajayi's London return did not go to plan as the British-born running back's Miami Dolphins were shut out in a 20-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints at Wembley.

The NFL's highest profile Englishman was playing in the city of his birth for the first time and had been the focus of attention in the build-up, with Twitter even making him the first player in the league to be assigned an emoji this week.

Yet there were plenty of emojis already available for the feelings he was displaying during an afternoon were he rushed for just 46 yards from 12 carries.

He could be seen displaying his frustration and anger throughout as a Miami side who went to the play-offs last year offered one of the meekest performances London has seen.

Michael Thomas celebrates with Ted Ginn Jnr after scoring the the New Orleans Saints' first touchdown (Getty)

New Orleans showed little more in a drab affair but picked up their second straight win to take their record to 2-2, while the Dolphins fell to 1-2.

The pre-match interest surrounded how many players would kneel for the American anthem after over 20 did in the same stadium last weekend in protest at US president Donald Trump's inflammatory comments.

Only three would kneel - Miami's Julius Thomas, Michael Thomas and Kenny Stills - though the Saints had taken a collective knee before standing for the Star-Spangled Banner.

Once play got under way there was a sign of things to come for Ajayi when he was knocked back for no gain from the first offensive play of the game.

That Miami drive ended with an easy red-zone interception Ken Crawley snagged from quarterback Jay Cutler's attempt to find Julius Thomas.

There were more kneeling protests at Wembley (Getty)

It was just one mistake in an error-strewn first half performance that was blighted by 11 penalties and Will Lutz's missed 41-yard field goal.

With four seconds remaining in the second period it was still scoreless at Wembley but Lutz finally put three points on the board with a 43-yard field goal at the culmination of a drive that had featured three dropped Saints passes.

Ajayi was feeling it more than most. He could be seen venting his anger on the sideline having had little impact in the running game in a fixture he had called "special".

The London crowd finally saw its first touchdown during an 11-play, 77-yard series which ended in Saints quarterback Drew Brees rolling out to his right and connecting with Michael Thomas for a three-yard touchdown.

Jay Ajayi in action for the Miami Dolphins (Getty)

It was a reward for New Orleans' bold decision earlier in the drive to go for it with a Brees quarterback sneak on fourth-and-one at Miami's 17-yard line rather than kicking the field goal.

Ajayi continued to find his rushing lanes clogged up and failed to get the required distance for a fresh set of downs on third-and-one.

The 24-year-old strolled around the sideline like a bear with a sore head, becoming involved in animated discussions with his coaches as the Saints began to control the clock.

A Mexican Wave, they very indicator of a crowd's apathy, grew in size before the Saints own lead was expanded - first through another Lutz field goal then through Brees' shovel pass to running back Alvin Kamara.

He was the rusher who impressed most at Wembley, not Ajayi, the one who was born in Hackney and lived in Essex until he was seven.

PA