Former Leyton Orient manager Omer Riza says he has no regrets about his short spell in charge of the club, as he gears up for a return to Brisbane Road later this month.

The former Arsenal man was named as the O’s fifth manager of the campaign when he took over from Danny Webb last March, during what proved to be a turbulent season for the East London club under then owner Francesco Becchetti.

Orient were relegated to the National League at the end of the campaign, bringing their 112 year stay in the Football League to an end, and the club’s future was at risk when it appeared in the High Court.

Riza had to deal with a number of issues during his time at the helm, including players and staff being unpaid, and picked up one win, one draw and five defeats from his seven games in charge.

But despite the difficult circumstances, Riza has no regrets about his decision to take over as manager and is proud to have had an association with the club.

He said: “I always say to people that I’ll never say that I wished that I had never taken it. I always knew that I was possibly sacrificing myself in respect of my future at the club, but for me, I have always been a person of integrity and honesty and hard work as a player and coach.

“I’d been at the club for two-and-a-half-years and I just wasn’t prepared to let it all go, no matter what the situation was. I know everything I did was for the club, for the players and for the fans and it was professional to get through to the end of the season. We did that and we got some good results out of it. It helped players to progress in their careers as youngsters as well.

“For me, at the end of the day, in my history I have been part of Leyton Orient in a time that was very difficult and the club have got through that now and hopefully, they are now looking upwards.”

Riza’s time at the O’s was brought to an end in June, when he left the club upon the expiry of his contract after Nigel Travis’ takeover, with Steve Davis ultimately being installed as the club’s manager.

But the 38-year-old will return to Brisbane Road at the end the month, after it was announced that he would feature in the Errol McKellar charity match which will take place on Sunday, May 27.

The match, aimed at raising money for Prostate Cancer UK and MIND Hertfordshire, will see a celebrity XI take on a team of Martin Ling’s London Legends, with former Orient stars Dean Cox, Charlie Daniels, Kevin Lisbie, Gary Alexander and Scott McGleish all taking part.

Riza said: “It’s going to be great to come back and play because Orient is where I started my managerial career, which is a career which is hopefully going to continue. It’s going to be nice to return to see some of the fans and to see some old friends and some ex-professional players and staff that I haven’t seen for a while. I’m looking forward to that.

“I know Errol even before Orient. I know his son and I like Errol. We get on really well and have a lot of respect for each other. Errol has gone through a lot, so on one hand I’m supporting Errol and I’m also supporting a charity which means a lot to men out there.

"In general, it’s going to be a great cause and a great day and it’s going to be great to be a part of it.”