Leyton Orient legend Peter Kitchen believes the club is currently enduring the worst period in its history both on and off the pitch.

Speaking to the Guardian Series, fan favourite Mr Kitchen said he accepted “several weeks ago” The O’s will drop out of the Football League for the first time in 112 years.

The former striker, who scored 63 goals in 127 appearances for Orient across two spells in the 1970s and 1980s, also called for owner Francesco Becchetti to be open with his intentions for the club.

Mr Kitchen said: "I think this is the worst time in the Orient’s history, it is a very sad time for the club.

"On the field, the team has lost almost all of its players and is now using its youth team. Off the field, there is no information coming out about the long-term.

"It is totally indisputable that over Becchetti’s tenure at the club there has been a catalogue of bad managerial decisions on and off the pitch."

Orient’s financial crisis has worsened in recent weeks, with staff revealing they have not been paid and a High Court hearing exposing a string of club debts.

A disastrous run of results on the pitch, which has seen The O’s win just twice in 18 games, also means relegation from League Two is likely to be confirmed over the Easter bank holiday.

Mr Kitchen added: "For several weeks now it has been almost a certainty that Orient are going to go down.

"The problem is, most clubs at this time of the season are thinking about next year already- what players are staying, priorities for summer recruitment.

"But no one at the club can make any plans and I cannot think of a worse situation to be in for the staff and players. I think you can only cope with the relegation if the club is restructured."

"I have a close affinity with Orient, I have got to know the fans over many years and I know what the club means to them.

"There are so many good people there and I would hate to see the club taken away from them."

An unnamed American company is believed to have made an offer last week to buy The O’s.

However, it is understood the firm had not heard back from the club by the deadline it set to respond to the bid last Friday (April 7).

Mr Kitchen, now 65, called on Mr Becchetti to be open with fans on the situation surrounding the possible sale of Orient.

He said: "I cannot understand why the owner will not at least make a statement to say he is considering offers, the fans are being kept in the dark.

"You have to ask, what was the motive for buying the club in the first place? For me it was not to take Orient into the Championship or to guarantee their long-term future.

"I think the first priority has to be for Becchetti to come out and make a statement about what his intentions are.

"If people are out there who want to buy the club, they need to make it known as well, it gives people hope that a solution can be found."