League Two strugglers Leyton Orient name former Blackpool, Swindon Town and Doncaster Rovers man as their new boss

The 41-year-old replaces Kenny Jackett, who was sacked in February after overseeing four straight defeats.

At the time, it left Orient five points above the relegation zone having been seventh in League Two as recently as December.

Interim boss Matt Harrold has drawn two of his three games, losing the other, leaving Orient in a perilous position at the wrong end of the table - the O’s are now only four points ahead of the bottom two.

“It’s a really good football club and from my initial conversations with the owners, the vision is forward thinking and they want to improve the club’s position,” Wellens said of his appointment, after agreeing a two-and-a-half year deal.

“I’ve always enjoyed bringing my teams here and the potential to improve here is clear to see.

“I want the fans to really buy into what we’re about and improve the match experience for them. Football is about having fun and we’ll be keen to give them something to shout about.”

Wellens, who has been out of work since being relieved of his duties at Doncaster Rovers in December, now has 13 games to maintain Orient’s Football League status.

It’s been a frustrating few years for Wellens since he guided Swindon Town to promotion from League Two during the 2019/20 season.

He opted to leave the Robins in November 2020 for ambitious fourth tier side Salford City, citing a lack of ambition at the County Ground.

However, his stint only lasted five months, barely a week after guiding the club to EFL Trophy glory at Wembley.

Salford were only six points adrift of the play-off spots, leading co-owner Gary Neville to later reveal it was a “mistake” to part ways.

Wellens, who made almost 200 appearances for the Seasiders as a player between 2000 and 2005, then lasted just 199 days with Doncaster.

The former midfielder left Doncaster 23rd in the League One table, having picked up 13 points from 19 matches.

Wellens was linked with the managerial post at Bloomfield Road in February 2020 while he was still in charge at Swindon following the sacking of Simon Grayson.