Loyalty is perhaps a trait which has been forgotten by both clubs and players in modern-day football.

Long-serving stalwarts who have given their all for their team can instantly be disregarded by clubs for a number of reasons, whether that be a new manager in charge or a side’s ability to splash millions of pounds on what they deem to be a superior player.

The vast amount of money involved in football means those in higher divisions or teams who are well backed by wealthy owners can prize away a key player within an instant, but Leyton Orient’s Macauley Bonne has bucked that trend, penning a new and improved two-year deal in East London earlier this week to remain loyal to the club ‘that gave me a chance.’

It’s a further sign of his commitment to Orient and a welcome boost to the O’s as they target a return to the Football League, after the 22-year-old established himself as one of the most prolific strikers in the National League last season having scored 25 times in all competitions.

That form, quite rightly some would say, saw him attract reported interest from Football League outfits, but Orient rejected ‘serious offers’ from other clubs to keep their star striker, according to head coach Justin Edinburgh.

Unlike other players who have faced similar scenarios, Bonne didn’t agitate for a move away and instead quashed any talk of a potential exit by penning a new deal which runs to 2020, a decision the striker claims was a straight forward one.

The Zimbabwe international said: “It’s a massive welcome relief given the things that get said over the summer and other things that happen. But at the end of the day, I need to be loyal to the club that has been loyal to me and gave me a chance coming from Colchester.

“Not playing games at a higher level would have given me a chance of basically nothing. I’ve proved to people enough that I can go and score goals and play well for the club.

“I knew about the clubs who wanted me and what was happening behind closed doors. But I was kind of putting that stuff to the back of my mind and just focusing on playing my football and cracking on for the new season.”

Asked about the reasons behind his decision to remain in East London, Bonne added: “Just excitement for the new season. We had a good pre-season, which was our first with the gaffer. We finished the season strongly last season and I think this is going to be a really good season for us. So, it was a no brainer in the end.”

The 22-year-old has turned into something of a fan favourite at Brisbane Road since moving to East London in July 2017 from Colchester United, winning the O’s Player-of-the-Season award for his impressive performances up top last campaign.

Bonne is already off the mark this season as well having notched a double against Barrow last Saturday at the Breyer Group Stadium, as he bids to surpass last year’s tally of 25.

The Zimbabwe international now wants to fire Orient back into the Football League, after the O’s endured something of a transitional season last campaign, and praised the support of the club’s fan-base, who also played a big role in his decision to put pen-to-paper on a new deal.

“They’ve played a massive role (in my decision to sign a new deal) because as you can tell, the fans that come week-in, week-out are first class,” he said.

“They’re there singing all the time, like they were on Tuesday night. There was 650 of them at Maidstone, which you don’t get at most clubs. When I was at Colchester, you didn’t get that amount of supporters on an away game on a Tuesday night and that’s a Football League club.

“So, that just proves that this club should be back in the Football League, not just because of the players, but because of the fan base and everyone around it.”