Inside Futbol
·9 October 2025
‘Help Us Out’ – Boss Tells Star On Loan From Stoke City To Improve

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·9 October 2025
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Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens believes that the O’s need Stoke City goalkeeper Tommy Simkin to help them out during games, as he reflected on a 4-3 loss at Cardiff City.
The goalkeeper came through Stoke’s youth set-up and is currently on his fifth loan spell away from the Potters to continue to learn his trade.
Last season, Simkin played almost 50 times for Walsall in League Two and in the summer window, League One outfit Leyton Orient loaned him in for the season.
Simkin has been Wellens’ first-choice shot-stopper, but has not been at his best for the O’s so far in his loan spell.
Last weekend, Welsh side Cardiff City beat Leyton Orient in a frenetic 4-3 game and Wellens has made no bones that Simkin should have been a lot better.
Cardiff City custodian Nathan Trott also conceded three goals in the game, but the O’s manager is clear that the former West Ham United talent put in an imperious performance.
Wellens feels making mistakes will teach Simkin about the game, while he lauded Trott, suggesting he would be stunned if he did not win the Man of the Match.
“I mean, their goalkeeper was unbelievable; our goalkeeper should have been better”, Wellens told Orient TV (2:06), discussing the game.
“It is a good learning curve for Tommy, but he needs to help us out.
“Their goalkeeper won them the game today, no doubt about that.
“He saved what, three or four one-on-ones, two-three reaction saves; I’ll be amazed if he does not get the Man of the Match.”
It is not the first time Wellens has talked about Simkin’s need for improvement, as, following a 2-1 defeat against Reading last month, he criticised the 20-year-old for his error in the game.
Crawley Town and Doncaster Rovers are Leyton Orient’s next two games and it remains to be seen if Wellens sticks with Simkin as his number 1 or if the Stoke loanee will lose his place in the team.