Leading goalscorer in the division is looking forward to life under Kevin Nolan
Jay Simpson believes Leyton Orient player-manager Kevin Nolan is already showing what a good appointment he could be by the club.
League Two’s top goalscorer opened the scoring at Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday as the O’s won 2-0.
It was the former West Ham United captain’s first match in charge of the east Londoners and it started encouragingly.
Newport County make the trip to Brisbane Road tonight (Tuesday) and another win could be on the cards.
Simpson said: “He was training with us for a while before Christmas for about three months so all the boys knew him.
“He has had a fantastic career so he was highly respected amongst the boys and now it is a new challenge for him to be a manager.
“To be fair he came in on Thursday for his first day and set us out, went through the training session to work on defending.
“He wanted us to be more solid and compact and our reaction when we lose possession is to get organised, it is pleasing to see it pay off at Wycombe.
“The boys have bought into what he has brought to the club and they are really taking it on board. Hopefully we have turned a new leaf now and it is exciting times for us.”
Orient fans got to see Nolan on the sidelines last Saturday, but they are still waiting for him to make his debut as a player.
The 33-year-old admitted it will be a little while before he is fully fit, though Simpson doesn’t believe that matters too much.
He said: “When he was training with us he said he wasn’t fit, but the quality he had on the ball is ridiculous.
“Especially at this level, he will be a great asset to us on the pitch if he decides to put himself in.
“I think he is calm on the ball and will get us playing so he has a lot of quality on the field as well.”
The O’s leading goalscorer went on to discuss what type of influence Nolan had on the younger players at the club when training with them previously.
He failing to agree a contract as a player before the opportunity to become manager occured last week.
Simpson added: “Everybody knows what a great career he has had and he is still 33 so he could have gone on and played at a higher level. I think it was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.
“For what he has achieved, the way he carries himself is very humble and he is an honest man. When he came in, he tried to support the young boys and pass on his advice and experience.”
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