Leyton Orient: Richie Wellens can learn from January move for “genuine club legend” | OneFootball

Orient can use example of legend to bolster squad in January.

Leyton Orient currently have an issue regarding loan players this season.

There are currently six loan players plying their trade in E10 so far this year, and as per EFL regulations, you can only have five in a matchday squad.

Jamie Donley is the latest loanee to miss out due to these rules, with Josh Keeley, Zach Hemming and Sonny Perkins all being casualties as well.

With the January window approaching, there is an opportunity to fix this issue with a simple solution - make one of these loan moves a permanent one.

Leyton Orient have precedent for this type of deal

After suffering relegation to the National League and being taken over in the summer of 2017, there was an overhaul of signings in East London. One of which was Cambridge United legend Josh Coulson, who joined on a six-month loan deal after making 324 appearances for the U's.

By January 7th, Coulson had departed Cambridge by mutual consent, and the following day signed an 18-month deal to join the O's permanently. Football Director Graham Daniels told the club website following his departure: "No one has done more as an ambassador for Cambridge United in the community because nothing is ever too much trouble for Josh and his first instinct is to help people.

"He came to embody everything that has been best about the football club in recent times. Josh leaves Cambridge United a genuine Club legend."

Orient went on to climb the table and finish 13th that year, with the following year bringing success as they won the National League, regaining their EFL status after two years away after also making a Wembley appearance by making the FA Trophy final - suffering a 1-0 defeat to AFC Fylde.

Coulson then went on to remain with the O's in League Two for the remaining two years, before departing and spending some time in the National League with Southend and King's Lynn, where he still remains in the National League North now.

O's can bolster squad with permanent switch

Speaking on the Orient Outlook Podcast in regards to the loan situation, manager Richie Wellens stated: "We spoke to several goalkeepers because we were desperate for a permanent goalkeeper, desperate for one.

"But you know, one came along, we were outpriced, another came along, he's got offers from other clubs. We just lost out on so many that we had to go down the loan route."

No club would want to have two loan goalkeepers as Orient do at the moment, especially when it forces another loanee to sit out every week, which could lead to the O's attempting to make one of the two permanent.

Both keepers are realistic signings for Orient. Zach Hemming would have to compete with former O's goalkeeper Sol Brynn, who hade his debut for Middlesbrough in Saturday's 6-2 thrashing of Oxford United, as well as Senegal international Seny Dieng and Tom Glover, who played 13 League games for Boro.

Josh Keeley, who has taken the reins as Orient's number one at the moment, would have an even tougher time getting game-time with parent club Tottenham Hotspur, with academy graduates Alfie Whiteman and Brandon Austin still at the club as well as former England international Fraser Forster - all behind Spurs' number one Guglielmo Vicario.

Pulling the trigger on one of the two loan keepers would not only fix the current problems Orient face each week with selection, but it also would give them a permanent keeper for the first time since Lawrence Vigouroux departed the club in June 2023.

It is an opportunity that the O's should take advantage of as they look to reinforce the squad not only for this year, but for years to come. The previous success of deals like Coulson should only push Orient to one January conclusion.