"Speaking to a lot of players" - Exclusive: Lee Hendrie shares Leyton Orient, Richie Wellens insight as new contract looms | OneFootball

Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie gives his take on the proposal to hand Richie Wellens an improved new contract

Richie Wellens is reportedly on the verge of a new, improved contract at Leyton Orient.

That’s according to journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon page, following his incredible work with the O’s this season.

He only signed a new deal just over 12 months ago, but such is the job he’s done at Brisbane Road, the powerbrokers at the club want to solidify his position even more.

We asked Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie whether Wellens deserves the new deal.

Hendrie backs Orient’s Wellens offer

Speaking exclusively to Football League World, Hendrie said: "Richie Wellens set for a new Leyton Orient contract. Is it deserved? Listen, I think what he's done at the football club was quite remarkable, it really was.

“You just look at the way they performed, the way he transformed them from the back end of the season to go on a fabulous run and do what he did quite brilliantly.

“So, I think he thoroughly deserves everything he gets, he really does, because his attention to detail, the players that he's brought on and works with.

“And speaking to a lot of players and people who relate to the football club, they've been absolutely over the moon.

“So he thoroughly deserves a new contract, and fair play to him.”

Wellens’ turnaround with Orient was remarkable

In the 2024/25 season, Wellens became a lesson to owners everywhere on exactly why you shouldn’t always dispense with managers at the first sign of trouble.

Towards the end of November, having just drawn 0-0 with Stevenage, Orient found themselves in 19th place, only just hovering above the relegation zone.

However, at the turn of December, a 3-0 home win against Bristol Rovers sparked a comeback that would take the O’s to an extremely unlikely play-off place.

Peaking at exactly the right time, they won their last six league games consecutively, before downing Stockport County in the two-legged play-off semi-final.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t better Charlton Athletic at Wembley, but the fact they were there in the first place was scarcely believable. Wellens’ vital role in that cannot be ignored.

Wellens’ contract befits his performance this season

It was revealed by Nixon, to little surprise, that Wellens had been put on multiple shortlists for vacancies elsewhere, with a number of managers from clubs around the second and third divisions given their marching orders.

With that interest known, Orient wanted to cement Wellens’ place at the club, and the best way to do that is with a lucrative new contract.

According to Nixon, Wellens remains content at the club, but that hasn’t deterred Orient from offering a contract that the journalist describes as one that “may be the biggest in League One”.