Nigel Atangana insists he is there to help the club in anyway he can as Leyton Orient aim for promotion in the 2016/17 season.

Atangana stood in as captain in the O’s final pre-season friendly against Gillingham where they scored two through Jordan Bowery and Jay Simpson before the match was abandoned due to Lee Martin suffering an ankle injury.

Orient currently have Robbie Weir, Sammy Moore, Liam Kelly and the Frenchmen all vying for a starting spot in central midfield but Atangana is happy with the competition.

He added: “I am not a type of person who is selfish and not help the lads because I am starting on the bench because I think we are a team.

“I think we have to be together and on the same wave length, and if Robbie Weir and Liam Kelly are on the bench and Sammy Moore and I are starting, we have to stick together.

“Because I think we are all going in the same direction, going up into League One.

“We will have injuries and illnesses throughout the season so it was good for us to get some playing time in pre-season.

“If I am starting in the league, I will give my maximum, if I am starting on the bench, I will give my maximum, even if I have to play five or ten minutes.

“But obviously every player wants to play I am talking about all four of us, and obviously if we are not playing for five or six months then we may have to look at another option.

“But we cannot talk about this right now, it is a long season and right now everybody has a chance and I am happy with the competition.”

Andy Hessenthaler’s side will travel to Cheltenham for the opening game of the season and the midfielder believes it will be a tough test.

“This will be the first test of the season, and it will be a very good test against Cheltenham,” he said.

“I have good memories there as I scored two seasons ago against them.

“But it will be a very tough game, we are looking forward to this game, we have to start right and we have to start well.

“It won’t be easy, obviously Cheltenham played at National League level last year, but it won’t be easy.

“The first game is always tough and you could see on Saturday against Gillingham, we missed Robbie and Liam.

“It will be a tough game but we have to be ready. I am expecting a big win, and to just keep going like we played in pre-season, together, we just need to play our style of football.

“It will be like a cup-tie, everyone wants to win the first game of the season, it will be a very tough game but we are ready.”

With Bowery and Simpson both on the scoresheet in pre-season, Atangana said it will bring them confidence for the first game and for the season ahead.

And having secured clean sheets against League One opposition in their pre-season schedule, it can only mean good things for the squad.

The 26-year-old added: “I think we are comfortable against League One teams and for me I prefer to play against League One or Championship sides, I think it is easier.”

“All the team were good against Gillingham, I am happy.

“It is nice as well as good to keep clean sheets against Charlton and Gillingham and we just need to keep going and press and score.

“We just have to go all out, in last season we didn’t score too much, but scoring in pre-season has helped and I think it will be good for the team.”