The last six years have been about redemption for Leyton Orient as owners Nigel Travis and Kent Teague have acted as the East London side’s guardian angels, seeking to right the wrongs of Francesco Becchetti’s ill-fated spell at the helm.
As the only remaining player at the club from Travis and Teague’s first batch of signings in the summer of 2017, arguably no player epitomises the journey the O’s have been on in recent times more than Craig Clay.
The 31-year-old has seen it all during his time in E10 but his decision to join the O’s from SPL side Motherwell was made swiftly, with Clay describing it as “probably the best and quickest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
The midfielder’s arrival was part of a trolley dash recruitment drive headed up by newly appointed Director of Football Martin Ling as he aimed to assemble a National League ready squad in just a couple of weeks.
Both men have played a key role in Orient’s recent success and it’s clear the sort of bond that endures between the pair: “He (Ling) always gives me a little bit of stick,” Clay admits.
““You’re not going to be here next year!” – he’s been saying that for six years, but he’s always had my back.
“He’s a great guy and not just with the on-the-field things. I had a few personal problems in my first season and he really helped me, he’s an integral part of what we’ve achieved.”
Following a summer of hurried upheaval, Orient started their first season in non-league football fairly well with five wins from their opening eight games before results soon turned and a run of 13 matches without a win spelled the end of Steve Davis’s time as manager.
Enter former Tottenham defender Justin Edinburgh who immediately turned things around.
“Justin came in and it was completely different. He had an aura. When we first went into a meeting with him everyone kind of just sat back and went woah,” recalls Clay.
“He was no nonsense, he still wanted you to have fun but not to take the mick. His attitude was when we’re not on the pitch you can have a laugh but once we’re training it’s 100% or he’ll get rid of you and he proved that in his first few months.”
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Under the steely stewardship of Edinburgh, the O’s went on to finish in a comfortable 13th position before embarking on a memorable campaign the following season.
Clay made 43 appearances and picked up the club’s Player of the Year award as Orient secured their first league title in nearly 50 years.
Due to the nature of EFL parachute payments, spending more than two seasons at non-league level can have wide-reaching implications which made promotion that season a necessity for the O’s.
The midfielder acknowledged the players were aware of the perilousness of the situation but again stressed the brilliance of manager Edinburgh in dealing with it.
“We were told that the academy might be closing if we didn’t go up so you feel that little bit of pressure.
“But even though we knew about all of that, Justin was that good of a man-manager that he made us forget about all of the noise outside and just concentrate on enjoying our football and getting the job done.”
Then from the highs of winning the league and a trip to Wembley for the FA Trophy final, came what Clay describes as “the worst thing I’ve ever experienced in football” as just one month after promotion was secured against Braintree, Edinburgh tragically passed away at the age of 49.
For Clay, Edinburgh was more than a manager: “He was close to us all, he was close to our families.
“He used to do little things, like at Christmas and Easter he used to buy presents for all the lads’ kids. He wasn’t just someone you worked for, he was a friend and someone we were all really close with.
“The lads who were part of that team still speak about him today and remember the good times so he’ll never be forgotten by us.”
What followed was an emotional and difficult summer, led by Edinburgh’s former assistant Ross Embleton, a man who Clay feels “deserves a massive amount of credit”. Orient did exceptionally well to be clear of the relegation zone by the time the season was curtailed in March.
Then came a strange Covid affected season where the O’s briefly flirted with the Play-Offs but ultimately fell well short before a false dawn the season after under the experienced Kenny Jackett.
Despite these disappointments, Clay’s faith in the ownership never wavered: “They are incredible, they’re the best I’ve worked under.
“It’s no secret that we have a Zoom meeting with them every month to find out what’s going on around the club.
“That’s something I’ve never had before, normally you only see owners once or twice a year. We were always going in the right direction, it just felt like a matter of time.”
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With the O’s languishing in 20th place and nervously looking over their shoulder at the EFL trapdoor, they eventually turned to former Swindon manager Richie Wellens.
Having seen the immediate impact Justin Edinburgh made in a similar situation, Clay sensed the club’s fortunes were about to turn once again.
“Richie (Wellens) really did bring us together. Everyone knew where they stood and felt valued. I was confident from day one that we were in for a good season this year.”
This campaign, though a hugely successful one for the club, has been one that Clay admits has been “tough on a personal level” as for the first time during his six-year spell in E10 he’s no longer been one of the first names on the O’s team sheet.
However, the former Grimsby man shows typical humility in his approach to being out of the side.
“Prats (Darren Pratley) and Iddy (Idris El-Mizouni) have been different class. They’ve been the best two central midfielders in the league, the partnership they’ve formed has been incredible”, Clay said.
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“I’m old enough now to realise that they deserve to be playing. If I was in their shoes and if I was playing as well as them I’d be devastated if I was being left out.
“It’s never been a case of me going in and saying to the gaffer why am I not playing? I’ve just had to train as hard as I can to keep them on their toes.
“I remember having a chat with someone at the training ground where I said I wanted to get back in the team and play every game but if I don’t and we get promotion then that’s fine as well.”
Clay has made 31 appearances this season, with the majority of those coming off the bench and it’s perhaps telling of the standing he’s held in by his manager that his longest run of successive starts came in February as the O’s experienced their only real wobble of the season following back-to-back defeats to Stevenage and Tranmere.
With the side needing just that little bit of extra steel and nous, Wellens turned to Clay as he started six of the next seven and helped Orient turn things around as they amassed 15 points from a possible 21 to put distance between themselves and their rivals.
Reflecting on his achievements and the future ahead, as he has done time and time again throughout the past six years, the 31-year-old puts the club first: “I always said I wanted to get this club back to League One. Hopefully I’m here after that but if not then I’d like to think I’ve played my part in doing that.”
Clay’s correct in his assessment he’s more than played his part. This season’s success makes him one of the first players in the club’s proud 142-year history to win two league titles and with that a permanent place etched into the club’s history books.