Jobi McAnuff will return to Brisbane Road this evening after suffering a mixed time with the east Londoners last year

Leyton Orient manager Andy Hessenthaler will be watching out for Jobi McAnuff this evening when Stevenage visit Brisbane Road.

The Jamaican ended a turbulent two years in east London in the summer when O’s failed to renew his contract.

After shining initially under Ian Hendon last season, having missed the first four months of the campaign because he wasn’t available for selection, and then Kevin Nolan, it was perhaps a surprise that the 34-year-old stayed in League Two.

He made the switch to Stevenage in July and will be looking to show Orient what they are missing tonight when he returns to face some of his old team mates.

Hessenthaler is well aware of that and after watching his team lost 1-0 to Newport County on Saturday, wants a response.

“Jobi we know well, he is a good lad and an experienced player and a clever one, we know all about him,” said the O’s boss.

“Stevenage will be a tough test, I’m sure they watched us on Saturday and they’ll think ‘if Newport can go there and get a result, why can’t we?’ but we need to make sure that doesn’t happen.

“We need to get our heads up now and we have got to bounce back and keep working hard.”

One positive out of the weekend was the impressive display of Nigel Atangana after his introduction.

The French ace was excellent in his cameo and might be given a start this evening against Stevenage having had to settle for a spot on the bench recently.

Hessenthaler added: “I think on Nigel’s performance he has to start the game. I am not going to lie and hide behind it.

“I thought he was excellent when he came on and it would be very hard to leave Nigel out of the starting XI.”

Some Orient supporters booed at full time on Saturday following the defeat to Newport.

But the ex-Gillingham manager urged the fans to stick with the team, adding: “I’d stay stick with it, hang in there with us because they do affect the players.

“In the end we haven’t got off to the start we’d like, but there is a long way to go and we need a lot of improvement from our first half performance.”