Leyton Orient confirm Liam Kelly signing
New Leyton Orient signing Liam Kelly with manager Andy Hessenthaler (pic: Leyton Orient) - Credit: Archant
Central midfielder joins from Oldham
Liam Kelly in action for Oldham against Blackpool last season (pic: Empics) - Credit: Empics Sports Photography Ltd.
Leyton Orient have announced the completion of the signing of Oldham Athletic captain Liam Kelly for an undisclosed fee.
The central midfielder had a year left to run on his contract at Boundary Park, but O’s have secured his services and he becomes the seventh signing of the summer for the Brisbane Road outfit, following the recent acquisition of Yvan Erichot.
Kelly was linked with a move to Barnsley, who eventually earned promotion to the Championship, throughout last season so comes with high pedigree and has penned a three-year deal.
A regular for the Latics since joining them from Bristol City in the summer of 2014, Kelly played 44 times in all competitions last season and scored six goals, before claiming the player of the year award.
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But he has decided to drop down a division to join Andy Hessenthaler’s side, having started his career in Scotland with Kilmarnock and winning the League Cup in 2012, before also representing the Tartan Army in November of the same year in a friendly with Luxembourg.
The 26-year-old’s signing adds to the optimism at E10 that O’s can potentially mount a promotion challenge – if all the new signings can gel quickly and manager Hessenthaler can be given the necessary time.
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Hessenthaler told leytonorient.com: “He is an excellent player and we now have five central midfield players with the likes of Sammy Moore, Kevin Nolan, Nigel Atangana and another new signing in Robbie Weir, so there is great competition for places and that should spur them all on.
“Liam has played a lot of football last season for Oldham and we certainly did our homework on him and we are delighted to have him here. Liam is excited and sees where the club wants to go and he wants to be part of that.
“He was their player of the season last term and that’s great. We are signing a League One player at a good age and if we can get to where we want to be with promotion this season, we have a ready made League One player at the club.
“I believe Gavin Massey won player of the year last season at Colchester as well so that just shows you where these players want to go and where they want to be. It is a pat on the back for everyone at this club to be able to get these calibre of players here.
“I had been tracking Liam for the last couple of weeks and I spoke to his agent Gary Porter who I know really well having played with him at Watford, so that was a good link in trying to bring Liam to the football club.”
