Rob Hunt’s career came full circle this summer when he signed for Leyton Orient. The move to East London returned the Dagenham-born full-back to the area in which he grew up and reunited him with some familiar faces both on the pitch, as well as off it.
Homecoming
The opportunity he now has to live and work in a place that he feels a connection to is one that Rob is relishing. Speaking to Rising East, he said, “It’s been a nice change actually, being able to live at home and go to work and play football. Family and friends are keen to come and watch now because it’s quite close and they can have a nice afternoon out and watch some good football.”
Reunion
Another major influence on Rob’s decision to move to East London was the chance to reunite with head coach Richie Wellens after previously playing for him at Oldham Athletic and Swindon Town. “The first time at Oldham he [Wellens] was in the backroom staff, then he took over and implemented an attacking, possession-based team and we did really well considering the start that we had. Then he signed me for Swindon, and we did well and won the league. Now he has signed me again.”
Rob has clearly earned the trust of his manager given that he has started every game this season for which he has been available, but the Orient defender can’t quite put his finger on why he has developed such an effective relationship with Wellens. “I just think I understand what he wants”, Rob says. “He sets high standards, gets his message across quite clearly. It just kind of works.”
Stellar Start
It’s fair to say that things have gone well for Rob since he signed for the O’s. The club is sitting pretty at the top of the table, having made their best ever start to a League Two campaign.
So, apart from the impact of the coaching staff, what does Rob think has been the main factor in the team’s impressive start to the season? “The togetherness and the spirit in the changing room”, he says. “It’s a great bunch of lads and that all contributes to getting a good performance on the pitch. Everyone gets along, there’s no bad eggs. The way that everyone works for each other and puts a shift in and if you’re in a bit of bother then your mate is there beside you to dig you out.”
Jack Of All Trades
Rob is capable of operating in several positions on the pitch, thanks in small part to his ability to play equally well with both his left and right foot. Richie Wellens praised his ambipedal defender in an interview with the club website in July. Wellens said, “He’s a player that is so versatile that he can play anywhere, and one of the best two-footed players I’ve worked with.” Rob claims that his ambidextrous abilities have always come naturally to him. “I grew up using both, it didn’t spring to mind using either one”, he says. “That’s probably helped me throughout my career, to be honest. To be able to play two positions, even last year I played 6 positions which is quite a lot!”
Orient’s stellar start to this season has many tipping them for promotion, but Rob is keen to stress that the team are not getting too far ahead of themselves. “Everyone know what that end goal is, winning the league and getting promoted. It’s a cliché but taking it game by game, not getting too high or low, we’ll just keep taking each game as it comes.”
Edited By: Joshkun Salih
