Leyton Orient: How a panic signing turned into Player of the Year | OneFootball

Lawrence Vigouroux far surpassed expectations from when he arrived in 2020.

The Leyton Orient signing of Lawrence Vigouroux did not raise much enthusiasm in East London.

Joining in January 2020, Vigouroux was simply seen by many as a stop-gap or a temporary figure after National League-winning goalkeeper Dean Brill was forced to retire due to injury earlier in the season.

Brill had proven so important to the O's since making the switch from goalkeeping coach to player in 2018, equaling the club's clean sheet record in the 2018-19 National League winning season. Meanwhile, Vigouroux had departed Chilean side CD Everton, where he failed to make a single appearance during a six-month spell.

The idea that Vigouroux could replace someone that had done as much for the club as Brill seemed impossible to many at Orient, especially given his difficult past.

It was a slow start for Vigouroux with Orient

When Brill first went down with injury in December 2019, academy graduate Sam Sargeant took over as the starting goalkeeper in E10.

Even after the arrival of Vigouroux, Sargeant kept his place in the starting XI until a 2-0 defeat to Crewe in February 2020 allowed Vigouroux to finally break into the team - making his debut the following week in a 1-1 draw at home to Macclesfield.

Unfortunately for the goalkeeper, the season was curtailed in early March due to the outbreak of Covid-19, which meant Vigouroux only made five appearances for the O's in his debut season.

He, along with the rest of the Orient side, had to wait over six months to play another competitive game as the 2020/21 season arrived - the goalkeeper keeping his first clean sheet for the club in a trip to Oldham Athletic to open the campaign.

Although the O's struggled to gain any real consistency throughout the season, the quality of Vigouroux began to shine through on both ends of the pitch, beginning to be seen as an excellent shot stopper that could also distribute well.

Following the conclusion of the season the O's finished in a respectable 11th, with Vigouroux making a clean sweep of the club voted awards, as well as fan voted Player of the Year awards.

Vigouroux reunited with a familiar face after expectations weren't met

Following the appointment of Kenny Jackett in the summer of 2021, expectations were immediately elevated for the O's. It started off prosperous, with Orient only losing once in their first nine league matches.

However, an injury crisis coupled with a month's break from league action due to Covid outbreaks throughout the league, led to Orient's momentum being seriously derailed - tasting defeat seven times in nine games in January and February.

A 2-0 loss at home to Bristol Rovers was the end for Jackett, and in his place was a man Vigouroux knew very well.

Richie Wellens was manager of Swindon Town from 2018-2020, while Vigouroux played there from 2015-2019. At some point during that period, there was a breakdown in communication between player and manager as Wellens called out the goalkeeper for his poor attitude towards training and lack of discipline - proceeding to completely drop him from the matchday squad in favour of veteran Luke McCormick.

A temporary loan move to Waterford was next for Vigouroux as he failed to earn his way back into Wellens' plans, where he played 19 games before being released at the end of the 2018/19 campaign.

Speaking to BBC Radio London regarding being let go by Wellens, Vigouroux stated: "He got rid of me because I wasn't professional. I knew how good a manager he was at Swindon and I didn't respond the way I should have done as a person.

"When he [Wellens] came in here the first thing he did was reach out to me. That's all I could have asked for. We had a really good, honest chat for about two hours in a hotel, and it really set me up for what was to come. I am a different person.

"I knew when we got him in the door that we should be a force to be reckoned with at this level - and we've shown it. He's been a breath of fresh air and someone that has managed us really well."

A revitalised Vigouroux made a big impact in East London

Having ended the 2021/22 season with another Player of the Year award, Vigouroux's confidence grew heading into the following season.

The O's started hot, winning nine of their first ten league games - Vigouroux keeping seven clean sheets in that run, and ultimately only lost twice in the league in the first half of the season.

A rocky January did little to dampen Orient's spirits as the O's only lost twice in the final four months of the season, winning the League Two title and securing promotion back to League One.

Vigouroux once again secured a multitude of Player of the Year awards, making it three in a row - a feat never achieved before at E10. He ended up finishing on 24 clean sheets, equaling a club record set by his predecessor Dean Brill back in the 2018/19 season.

It was an unlikely yet ironic coincidence that Vigouroux ended up equaling Brill's record, considering they were both signed without much fanfare yet ended up being the key pieces in promotions for Orient.

Vigouroux eventually made a permanent move to then-Premier League side Burnley following the conclusion of his contract with the O's. He failed to break through and eventually made a move to Swansea City, where he has impressed Swans fans.

No matter what Vigouroux goes on to achieve in his career, he will always be remembered and highly respected at E10 for his impact on the side during his three-and-a-half year stint in East London, and will be a reminder that not every signing needs hype behind them in order to achieve great things with the O's.