Latest news with #JoshKeeley
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Leyton Orient release EIGHT players including former Premier League star, 40, after play-off final heartbreak
FORMER Premier League star Darren Pratley has been released by Leyton Orient aged 40. The midfielder had been a stalwart in Richie Wellens' side for the last four years, helping them reach the League One play-offs where they lost in the final to Charlton. 2 Darren Pratley has been released by Leyton Orient Credit: Getty 2 Josh Keeley and Jamie Donley have returned to parent club Spurs after their loans expired Credit: Getty He turned 40 in April and the club paid tribute to his career, and his contribution to Orient's League Two title win in 2023. Pratley played in the Premier League for Bolton and he made 202 appearances for the Trotters. His best years came at Swansea where he won promotion to the Prem via the play-offs in 2011 - he also won League One with the Swans in 2008. Pratley helped Bolton win promotion from the third tier in 2017, and repeated that feat two years later with Charlton. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL Jayden Sweeney, Joe Pigott, Sam Howes, Rhys Byrne, Reon Smith-Kouassi and Thomas Avgoustidis have also been released. While five players have left the club upon the expiration of their loan deals - Tottenham pair Jamie Donley and Josh Keeley, Dillan Markanday, Jack Currie and 27-goal striker Charlie Kelman. Two more players, Theo Archibald and Jordan Graham, will continue at the club on an out of contract basis as they continue their rehabilitation on long-term ACL injuries. Most read in Football BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS Manager Richie Wellens said: 'Each and every one of my players gave me absolutely everything this season, and they have all been a pleasure to work with. 'This group has been special – one of the best I have ever worked with as a player or manager – and that makes these decisions even tougher. EFL club release 'gorgeous work of art' kit and even rival fans want to buy it 'This summer , we will say goodbye to some players who have been with us for a long time, and I can only thank them for their service to our football club. They have played a huge role in our climb up the ladder, and I wish them all the very best for the future . 'Jordan Graham and Theo Archibald put their bodies on the line for us and we will continue to support them throughout their recovery from injury by having them around the training ground. 'I'm looking forward to seeing them both back playing again, be that with us or someone else.'
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pain for Wellens as exciting chapter ends so soon
Heartbreak is a word thrown around with abandon after any and all Wembley defeats but when Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens used it after the loss to Charlton, it really felt like he meant it. He was not talking about footballing heartbreak over Charlie Kelman's deflected shot thudding the woodwork, or even Macaulay Gillesphey's free-kick sneaking past both the wall and O's keeper Josh Keeley's despairing dive to send Charlton back to the Championship. No, he said he was personally heartbroken at the prospect of never again managing this group of players he has painstakingly assembled for Orient. Keeley and Jamie Donley will head back to Tottenham after fine loan spells, Kelman will return to parent club QPR after 23 League One goals for the O's and Jack Currie's loan from Oxford is also up. In all, 11 of the 18 players in the squad for the play-off final defeat on Sunday are either out of contract this summer or on loan. The past six months feels like a work of art carved into a sandy beach, eventually washed away by the tide with nothing left to show for it but memories and photographs. "It's really difficult for me, it's heart-breaking to be honest, it is hard," Wellens told BBC Sport. In a division packed with financial muscle, which is only going be bolstered by relegated trio Plymouth, Luton and Cardiff next season, Orient have been shopping in a different market to most. "Our budget is not like some of the other clubs," Wellens admitted in his post-match press conference in the bowels of Wembley. The 45-year-old ex-Blackpool and Leicester midfielder took over with the O's 20th in League Two in 2021-22 and has guided them to the brink of the Championship. But one of the constants has been upheaval at the end of each of his three seasons in charge. "The end of that [first] season, I lost two or three of my best players," Wellens said. "Next season, we got promoted, I lost a few more. It's the same every season. Potentially we're going to lose six or seven now. "I am gutted for the supporters but I'm also heartbroken this is the last time I will ever manage this set of players as a collective." Charlton beat Orient to win promotion to Championship Wellens hails 'special group' after Orient reach play-off final Wellens said he needs a break before trying to assemble an Orient 2025-26 squad jigsaw puzzle, after a gruelling season which has seen the O's play 61 games. Their play-off campaign followed a fine run to the FA Cup fourth round where they gave then Premier League champions Manchester City a run for their money. Wellens told BBC Radio London: "I'm tired, this week has taken a lot out of us. It's been a long season. I need a few weeks off. "We'll dust ourselves down and try to recruit. The plan was always to be a top, top League One club. We are still not there yet, but this is a good step. "It's been an unbelievable group of players - both on the pitch and character-wise they are a pleasure to work with every day but we just couldn't go the last step and I am gutted for them. "We need to make sure we recruit right because we're going to lose a lot of players now. "But I am trying to make sure it's a celebration of what we have done over a long time - the development of players, the way the club has grown - we had over 30,000 fans today, this is the biggest crowd the club have ever played in front of and Charlton are an ex-Premier League club." Wellens also admitted promotion to the Championship might have come too soon for the Orient project had it materialised. "I am more gutted than anybody. It's the first time I have ever lost a final, ever," he said. "If you'd said to us at the start of the season you're going to lose in the play-off final we'd have taken it. But now it's important we grow and develop the club. We're still not there. "If we'd been promoted today we'd still fall short in a lot of areas which are required for a Championship club. We have to try and grow from it. "I came here and we were 20th in League Two. Charlton are ready to go up. Are we ready? As a club we probably need more time."
BBC News
25-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Pain for Wellens as exciting chapter ends so soon
Heartbreak is a word thrown around with abandon after any and all Wembley defeats but when Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens used it after the loss to Charlton, it really felt like he meant was not talking about footballing heartbreak over Charlie Kelman's deflected shot thudding the woodwork, or even Macaulay Gillesphey's free-kick sneaking past both the wall and O's keeper Josh Keeley's despairing dive to send Charlton back to the he said he was personally heartbroken at the prospect of never again managing this group of players he has painstakingly assembled for and Jamie Donley will head back to Tottenham after fine loan spells, Kelman will return to parent club QPR after 23 League One goals for the O's and Jack Currie's loan from Oxford is also all, 11 of the 18 players in the squad for the play-off final defeat on Sunday are either out of contract this summer or on past six months feels like a work of art carved into a sandy beach, eventually washed away by the tide with nothing left to show for it but memories and photographs."It's really difficult for me, it's heart-breaking to be honest, it is hard," Wellens told BBC Sport. 'We're going to lose a lot of players now' In a division packed with financial muscle, which is only going be bolstered by relegated trio Plymouth, Luton and Cardiff next season, Orient have been shopping in a different market to most."Our budget is not like some of the other clubs," Wellens admitted in his post-match press conference in the bowels of 45-year-old ex-Blackpool and Leicester midfielder took over with the O's 20th in League Two in 2021-22 and has guided them to the brink of the one of the constants has been upheaval at the end of each of his three seasons in charge."The end of that [first] season, I lost two or three of my best players," Wellens said."Next season, we got promoted, I lost a few more. It's the same every season. Potentially we're going to lose six or seven now."I am gutted for the supporters but I'm also heartbroken this is the last time I will ever manage this set of players as a collective." Wellens said he needs a break before trying to assemble an Orient 2025-26 squad jigsaw puzzle, after a gruelling season which has seen the O's play 61 play-off campaign followed a fine run to the FA Cup fourth round where they gave then Premier League champions Manchester City a run for their told BBC Radio London: "I'm tired, this week has taken a lot out of us. It's been a long season. I need a few weeks off. "We'll dust ourselves down and try to recruit. The plan was always to be a top, top League One club. We are still not there yet, but this is a good step."It's been an unbelievable group of players - both on the pitch and character-wise they are a pleasure to work with every day but we just couldn't go the last step and I am gutted for them."We need to make sure we recruit right because we're going to lose a lot of players now."But I am trying to make sure it's a celebration of what we have done over a long time - the development of players, the way the club has grown - we had over 30,000 fans today, this is the biggest crowd the club have ever played in front of and Charlton are an ex-Premier League club."Wellens also admitted promotion to the Championship might have come too soon for the Orient project had it materialised."I am more gutted than anybody. It's the first time I have ever lost a final, ever," he said."If you'd said to us at the start of the season you're going to lose in the play-off final we'd have taken it. But now it's important we grow and develop the club. We're still not there."If we'd been promoted today we'd still fall short in a lot of areas which are required for a Championship club. We have to try and grow from it."I came here and we were 20th in League Two. Charlton are ready to go up. Are we ready? As a club we probably need more time."
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Orient heartbroken at Wembley - one moment makes the difference
So close, yet again. Leyton Orient fell to a narrow 1–0 defeat in the League One play-off final at Wembley, a single Macaulay Gillesphey free-kick separating the sides in a match filled with tension, chaos, and raw boys left it all out there. Josh Keeley kept us in the game with two massive stops — especially one from a May header early in the second half. Player of the Match from our end? Keeley, hands down. He gave us a chance to push, and push we did. Charlie Kelman nearly gave us our moment, but his deflected strike clipped the crossbar. The late VAR delay — eight minutes of confusion due to faulty comms — only ramped up the nerves. We had the momentum then, and it felt like the goal was coming. This one hurts. But we went toe-to-toe with a former Premier League club and proved we belong on this stage. Next season, we go again. 📸 James Fearn - 2025 Getty Images
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Charlton Athletic 1-0 Leyton Orient: The Talking Points
Much-like The Addicks two-legged face-off with Wycombe Wanderers in the semi-final, much of the game under the arch proved nervy. This was, perhaps, best summed up by Macauley Gillesphey's free kick on the halfway line after twenty minutes, as the defender's overhit pass failed to find a teammate and travelled straight out of play. However, Gillesphey more than made up for his mistake, of which he visibly laughed off and was soon able to erase from his memory. The defender's second set-piece of the afternoon, this time from just outside the eighteen-yard box, was curled beyond Orient goalkeeper Josh Keeley and into the back of the net. It should be noted that the opener was also the first shot on-target of the afternoon from either side. This invited jubilant scenes behind Will Mannion's goal, as red and white smoke descended the Wembley skies, where manager Nathan Jones pointed to with a look of relief. As the first forty-five came to a close, it was evident that the Charlton boss had provided a plan to nullify the League One top goal scorer Charlie Kelman, who was limited to just four touches in the first half. However, this trend soon collapsed in the second period when Kelman's deflected effort on the sixtieth minute collided with the crossbar. Five of the last six goals in this fixture had come beyond the ninetieth minute, offering hope to Orient as there promised to be a lengthy eleven minutes of stoppage time due to referee Andrew Kitchen being forced to halt play because of a technical issue with the official's microphone. During this time, Kitchen handed out his first, and only, caution of the game when Charlton Lloyd Jones attempted to prevent an Orient counter, suggesting that the encounter lacked the fierceness of your typical London derby. Ultimately, Richie Wellens' side were unable to find a way through Jones' valiant reds, who have confirmed promotion to the second tier of the English football pyramid. The full-time whistle, in turn, also meant The Addicks stretched their play-off final win streak to four games, having also tasted victory in 1987, 1998 and 2019. After not conceding across the entirety of the play-offs, it will certainly be interesting to see how Jones and his team fair defensively in the heights of the Championship next season.
