The former Stevenage midfielder is slowly building up his fitness after a difficult summer on the sidelines

Leyton Orient assistant Ross Embleton is excited about the potential of midfielder Dale Gorman and urged fans to remain patient with the summer signing.

The Northern Ireland under-21 international moved to E10 in June after he was let go by League Two club Stevenage.

A change in management at the Hertfordshire club saw his chances restricted, but he had been highly rated by former Borough boss Darren Sarll.

Gorman signed for the O’s on a free transfer while still recovering from the fractured ankle he suffered in April and didn’t make his debut for his new club until the end of August.

By this time, the Orient express was beginning to hit top gear and so the midfielder had to bide his time.

An injury to Charlie Lee on November 3 saw Gorman handed his first run of games, however, and he has now been picked from the off in O’s last six matches.

He has regularly been replaced before the 90 is up though, and Orient’s assistant boss feels there is plenty more to come from the 22-year-old.

Embleton said: “It was obviously a strange scenario for Dale because he came in and was injured and then the season goes well for us and you assume everyone must be happy, but if you are a professional you want to play every day.

“I think for Dale, he was at a new club and wanted to set a marker and show people what he was capable of and it took him a long time to do that.

“He had fits and starts with 10 to 15-minute periods here and there, but I am really pleased he has managed to get himself in the team now.

“Obviously he has come off towards the end of the last few games, but it shows he has another level to kick on to in order to stay in the team for 90 minutes.”

A big feature of Gorman’s game is his ability to dictate play when is on the ball and he always makes himself open for possession no matter the score.

Slowly O’s fans are seeing glimpses of why the Northern Irishman is so highly rated and there is a reason why team-mate and central midfield rival Charlie Lee described his addition as “a major signing for the future of Leyton Orient.”

Embleton added: “Dale is probably catching up still and while some people will say he should be fit enough by now because we are a long way into the season, unless you are playing on a regular basis it is very tough to perform at that level for 90 minutes.

“We have to be careful and respect the situation he is in physically, but slowly we are seeing things.

“He is one of those players who wants to get on the ball even if he has not had a game to turn everyone’s head - he will still have the desire to get on the ball and to get us playing, which is a great quality.”