O’s new head coach discusses plans for the club, the belief of the president and what happens to the players out of contract

New Leyton Orient head coach Ian Hendon has insisted the club will be challenging for promotion in League Two next season and is sure president Francesco Becchetti still views the Brisbane Road outfit as a long-term project.

The 43-year-old was unveiled at O’s ground this afternoon alongside chief executive Alessandro Angelieri and spoke passionately about his former club.

Hendon, who captained Orient during his four-year playing career in E10, spoke about sharing the same belief with Becchetti.

He also revealed that he has signed a two-year contract with the club but hopes to remain in charge for longer than that.

“I think this is an exciting time for the club, I have met the owner and the chief executive Alessandro and they share the same vision as I do for this football club,” said Hendon.

“The first time I met them we just seemed to fit and I am very ambitious in what I want to do and where I want to go in the game as a manager and the chairman shares the same belief and wants the same for this football club.

“There are a lot of clubs in League Two looking to do the same thing and we all want to get promoted. That is the aim – to get promotion.

“We have got some good players in the nucleus of the squad that are left here. We want to be challenging and to get promotion at the end of the season.”

Hendon believes playing for O’s in the 90s helped him get the job as head coach and revealed he will get the players back in for pre-season on June 29.

The former Barnet and Dover Athletic manager also discussed how upset the president was with how things panned out during the 2014/15 campaign which resulted in Orient suffering relegation.

“Playing for the club most definitely helped me get the job,” added Hendon.

“I have an affiliation with the club and I would class it as my first club as a player. I was at Spurs as a kid and Orient took a chance on me.

“I had a good time here and I was a very committed player and I will be a very committed manager that is for sure.

“Everyone is disappointed about last season, I know the chairman is very disappointed about last year. I am hoping the players feel the same.

“When I get the players on the training ground on June 29, when we come back, we will have a chat and have our goals and our aims and we will set them out early on and we know what we will be aiming for.”

Hendon also discussed his plans in terms of strengthening the current squad and what will happen to the 10 players out of contract.

Scott Cuthbert and Kevin Lisbie have agreed moves elsewhere to league rivals Luton Town and Barnet.

Top scorer Chris Dagnall, forwards Gianvito Plasmati, Shaun Batt and David Mooney, midfielders Josh Wright and Marvin Bartley and defenders Elliot Omozusi, Gary Sawyer, Andrea Dossenna are also out of contract.

Youngster Harry Lee could leave the club too and Hendon revealed he will be looking to keep some of the aforementioned players out of contract - with Dagnall believed to be one.

He added: “There is one or two that we would like to keep and negotiations and conversations are going on.

“I have had the conversation with the chairman and he is in full support of what I want to do in the transfer window.

“Obviously we need to bring some players in because of the size of the squad at the moment because a few got released at the end of last season so we will be bringing players in.”