The 32-year-old believes he would be doing an injustice to himself and the club if he was blasé about his current role in the first-team

East London Advertiser: Dean Brill issues instructions from the touchline during Leyton Orient's 2-2 draw with Chester after Ross Embleton is sent to the stands (pic: Simon O'Connor),Dean Brill issues instructions from the touchline during Leyton Orient's 2-2 draw with Chester after Ross Embleton is sent to the stands (pic: Simon O'Connor), (Image: Simon O'Connor Photography)

Dean Brill insists he will be doing all he can to remain Leyton Orient’s number one for the foreseeable future after taking the role earlier this month.

The 32-year-old is the O’s goalkeeper coach, but was made first choice by new head coach Justin Edinburgh on December 2 after Charlie Grainger and Sam Sargeant had both been given opportunities by then-interim boss Ross Embleton.

It has paid off handsomely with Brill impressing and helping Orient regain some confidence with recent wins over Sutton United, Haringey Borough, Maidstone United and Dagenham & Redbridge.

When reflecting on his current position as number one as well as being goalkeeper coach, he said: “I have got to be able to separate the two roles and make sure I help the boys out as much as I can.

“But personally I’d be doing myself an injustice if I said I was only going to play a certain amount of games and then come out.

“I need to treat it as if I was Charlie or Sam. I have got the shirt and as long as I am doing well and the team is, I want to keep the shirt. I think I would do them an injustice if I looked at it blasé and the club an injustice.

“I need to follow the premise of if I am doing well and the team is doing well then I am part of that, so I deserve to keep the shirt.”

Brill started in between the posts on Boxing Day when local rivals Dagenham visited Brisbane Road.

It was the first of two meetings with John Still’s men with Orient set to travel to Victoria Road on Monday (New Years Day) for another derby.

The immediate focus for the O’s now is Saturday’s home fixture with Bromley and revenge may be on the minds of some after the Ravens thrashed the E10 club 6-1 back at the start of the season on August 16.

On that day Brill was watching on from the sidelines, but he will be tasked with stopping Neil Smith’s team this weekend.

Yet after going two-and-a-half years without playing a competitive game, did it ever cross Brill’s mind that he might not play again?

He added: “In the summer I played six or seven games to keep fit and I trained at a few league clubs and in my head the focus was player, player, player.

“But when this came up, because it was such a great opportunity and it happened so fast and I got so immersed in the role, it didn’t really dawn on me that I wouldn’t play again.

“Obviously knowing I was registered as a player, I always knew there would be a chance and I’m only 32, so my mindset was that’s another string to my bow and over the next four or five years, I could still do it.

“It didn’t really enter my head that I wouldn’t ever play again and obviously I’m delighted to be playing because I love playing and for unfortunate reasons, I’ve had a bit of time on the side.”