O’s boss Russell Slade said the news of defender Elliot Omozusi’s two-and-a-half year jail sentence was “really disappointing” for both the club and player.

The 22-year-old was signed by Orient last year, putting pen-to-paper on a one-year deal which was extended in the summer after he played the required number of games to trigger a new contract.

Omozusi competed in over 50 games for the Brisbane Road side and Slade confessed his disappointment at the loss of the player, who was found guilty of intimidating a witness last week.

“I’m really disappointed. It’s not good news for the football club or the boy. That’s all I really want to say on it at the minute. He was a key player for us last season. It’s upsetting all round,” said Slade on Saturday.

“In terms of the rest of the players, the group are disappointed and upset as well because he was one of us.

“I like to think we breed ourselves on team spirit and togetherness and all of those qualities that go into making a football club successful.

“We have lost him now and unfortunately we are going to have to move on.”

Skipper Stephen Dawson added after the draw with Stevenage: “As players we don’t really know the ins and outs of it. We haven’t really got involved in it. It’s not really for us to say.

“It is hard when one of the players you train with week in week out gets sentenced to two and a half years.”

The captain said the news had not affected the side with regards to their performance on the pitch, adding that they will be professional as they continue their League One campaign.

“We have got to do a job. We get paid to go out there and it can’t affect us too much. We have to get our heads down.”

The club are yet to release a statement on the matter but we understand this could be released as early as tomorrow.