8:10am Friday 27th January 2012
By Matt Bass
Dean Leacock was handed his O’s debut at Preston and won many admirers amongst the Orient faithful after he helped keep a clean sheet for Russell Slade’s side.
The 27-year-old had been unavailable for selection against Chesterfield after his move was not confirmed in time and had not played all season for previous club Derby County.
But the former Fulham man more than made up for lost time as he joined Scott Cuthbert in the heart of the back four and proved up to the challenge of the Preston forwards.
And Leacock was delighted to be back on the pitch again.
“Obviously I haven’t played for a long time so from my point of view, I have been in the stands and I have missed it. I have really missed it,” he explained.
“The lads and the staff have been really nice so it has been quite easy to settle me in. We have got a nice group and they are down to earth guys.”
Leacock revealed there were other clubs interested in his services but the Londoner admitted the lure of a return to his native city was too much to resist.
The defender is contracted to the O’s until the end of the season but said he was not looking beyond that for now, preferring to concentrate on playing as much football as he can.
He continued: “Hopefully I can get some games under my belt and I would like to be involved in all of them.
“I want to get my fitness back. I am just trying to get a few games under my belt and then I will sit down at the end of the season.”
But after an impressive debut for the club, it wasn’t just the supporters who were pleased with the latest addition to the E10 ranks, with Slade full of praise for Leacock.
“Debuts don’t come much stronger than that really,” the manager enthused on Saturday.
“I am delighted with what he has put together for us. When you consider his last game was a reserve team game on January 4 or 5 for Derby County – he has played very little football before that – we have got to be really pleased with that performance.”
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