Last O’s boss to earn automatic promotion discusses new man in E10 hot seat

East London Advertiser: New Leyton Orient head coach Ian Hendon (pic: LOFC).New Leyton Orient head coach Ian Hendon (pic: LOFC). (Image: TGSPHOTO c/o 27 Plaiters Way, Braintree, Essex, CM7 3LR - Editorial Use ONLY - FA Premier League and Football League images a...)

Former Leyton Orient manager Martin Ling has backed the appointment of Ian Hendon as new O’s head coach and is pleased to see the club going back to their roots.

Ling, speaking at Errol McKellar’s Prostate Cancer UK charity match on Sunday, hopes the former West Ham United first team coach can help bring success back to Brisbane Road.

He is hoping Orient can go from strength to strength now.

“Ian coming in is a good move for the club,” said Ling.

“They are going back to their roots and going back to having people in charge who actually know the club.

“Hopefully they learn from the mistakes they made last year, and they have made the right move by appointing a British manager and somebody who has Orient contacts.

“It would be good now if the club can go from strength to strength, get back into League One and maybe challenge for the Championship from there.”

Ling played with Hendon during the 1996/97 season at Brisbane Road and believes he will prove to be a good manager at his former club.

The 48-year-old managed O’s between 2003 and 2009 and revealed his pleasure at hearing Kevin Nugent will be remaining at Orient as well.

“I know Ian fairly well, I was in the dressing room with him for a year,” added Ling.

“I played with him in the 96/97 season which started with Pat Holland in charge and finished with Tommy Taylor.

“He was a good player, a good honest professional and he will be a good, honest manager.

“Hopefully he will take forward what he has learnt from working with Sam Allardyce at West Ham into the Orient dressing room.

“He has Kevin alongside him and I know he is going to fetch an assistant manager as well.

“It is pleasing to see that Kevin is staying there because he knows the football club. He knows it inside out so hopefully everything is good for Leyton Orient from now on.”