”Point to prove” - Leyton Orient cult hero won over Ross Embleton after being transfer listed | OneFootball

James Alabi had a lot of work to do to win over the new manager.

Striker James Alabi is often regarded as a Leyton Orient fan favourite for his time spent in East London.

Based purely on performances, the O's have had much better signings in recent years but few have struck quite as strong a bond with the fanbase.

The now-30-year-old spent time on the academy books at Tottenham Hotspur and Celtic before signing his first professional contract with Stoke City. He found himself on loan at Scunthorpe United in the latter months of the 2012-13 League One season and spent some time there the following year as well as short spells at Mansfield Town, Accrington Stanley, and Forest Green Rovers.

He then joined Ipswich Town where he made only a single appearance for the Tractor Boys, joining Grimsby Town on a short-term loan deal.

He left the Suffolk side in January 2016 and joined Chester in the National League where he would enjoy a prolific run during the 2016/17 campaign, scoring 17 goals in 42 games.

That success helped him earn a move to fellow National League side Tranmere Rovers the following year, but Alabi ended up making only nine appearances before being loaned out again - this time to Dover Athletic where he made 13 appearances, scoring once.

Alabi was snapped up by Orient

In late June 2018, Alabi was announced as Leyton Orient's second summer signing, with Dale Gorman having joined the O's earlier in the month. Alabi was signed for an undisclosed fee and signed a two-year deal.

Speaking to the club website, Alabi stated: “I’m buzzing to get it over the line. It was an easy decision for me and I can’t wait to get going. My ambition is to get as many goals as I can, and the biggest ambition for me is to get this club promoted back to the Football League."

Then-head coach Justin Edinburgh said of the new arrival: “He’s got a lot of attributes that you look for in a new signing. First and foremost, his work ethic is excellent, while physical attributes are a big positive. He’s got pace and power and is a good finisher.

“The club were interested in signing him last season but I believe the fee got in the way so when we were made aware of his availability, we jumped at the chance. We saw off a lot of competition to sign him and once I had met with him face-to-face, I had no hesitations."

The striker quickly became a fan favourite in East London, making his debut in a 1-1 draw away at Salford City where he grew rapour with the East London faithful following with his high intensity and work rate.

Alabi went on to score his first goal as a second-half substitute in a 1-1 draw away at Halifax Town, however, Orient's strong form, which had them at the top of the National League, saw starts hard to come by for the striker, with Macauley Bonne making the spot his own.

The forward's opportunities were further reduced by the return of Jay Simpson which saw increased competition up front towards the latter months of the season. His struggles meant limited chances, with his last goal of the season coming in a win away at Maidenhead United in early October.

Eventually, as the season concluded, Orient ended up securing the National League title and with it a return to the Football League after only two years away - giving Alabi an opportunity to play EFL football for the first time in over five years.

Alabi almost found himself unwanted under new regime

After the promotion buzz had settled, Orient announced their retained list for 2019 and along with a number of releases and contract offers, it was mentioned that Alabi had been added to the transfer list which indicated that he would not be involved in the following year's campaign in E10.

However, due to the tragic and sudden passing of Justin Edinburgh in the summer of 2019, assistant coach Ross Embleton took temporary charge of the club which inevitably led to questions regarding the striker's future at the club.

But Alabi won the new boss over in pre-season and was removed from the transfer list after returning for the summer with a "point to prove".

Speaking to BBC Sport in the summer of July 2019, Embleton said: "The way we act as a club is about having honesty, integrity and treating people properly. When James [Alabi] returned for pre-season, we had an honest conversation about his role and how he's got a point to prove.

"He's worked very hard and with intent since returning, his personality makes him a massive part of the group and his application is superb so it is only fair for him to be given a clear opportunity to show what he's capable of."

Orient went on to have an inconsistent start to the season, picking up two wins in their opening four games before not winning again until early October. After a pair of wins against Northampton Town and Walsall, it was announced that Embleton would return to his previous role as coach and former Plymouth Argyle midfielder Carl Fletcher would take charge following Orient's trip to Grimsby Town.

It was in this fixture where Alabi would score his first and only goal in an O's shirt that season in a 4-0 thrashing of the Mariners.

However, that is as good as it would get for the East Londoners and Alabi as they hit a poor run of form which saw Fletcher dismissed after only 29 days in charge.

Embleton returned to the helm and remained in charge for the remainder of the season but Alabi found himself on another goal drought, which eventually saw him loaned out to National League side Eastleigh for the remainder of the season, where he scored once in seven games before the Covid-19 pandemic terminated the season prematurely in March 2020.

When Orient published their retained list at the end of the season, it was revealed that Alabi's contract would not be renewed and he left the club after making 45 appearances for the East London side.

Following his departure from E10, he joined fellow London side Bromley, where he went on to score eight goals in 40 games, as Bromley made the National League play-offs in his first year, losing 3-2 to Hartlepool United in the quarter-final stage. He went on to make a further 46 appearances as the Ravens finished 10th and won the FA Trophy, with Alabi as an unused substitute.

He departed Bromley after two seasons, signing for Maidstone United where he faced Orient in a pre-season friendly in July 2022. He went on to score twice in 26 league appearances, before then joining National League South side Bath City where he scored once in 16 games.

The forward enjoyed better spells at clubs before and after his Orient tenure but there can be no denying that he struck up a special bond with large parts of the Brisbane Road faithful – establishing himself as a cult hero to many.

Speaking on the LO Down podcast in June 2020 about his connection with the fanbase, Alabi stated: "I'd say that was probably one of the main reasons for me even staying as long as I should because I knew one thing - maybe the manager, maybe some players, maybe the chief executive, maybe they don't like me but one thing I 100% know to this day is that the fans love me.

"That's what got me through day-to-day and that's what the fans don't know. The fans need to know my time at Orient was helped a lot by them."

Despite potentially being viewed as a "journeyman" to some, Alabi's impact in East London will never be shown by his statistics from his time at the club, but rather the memories that he has left from being a beloved character at E10.