On-loan midfielder is full of praise for O’s youngster

Orient’s on-loan midfielder Tom Clarke knows all about good wingers.

The Huddersfield Town player saw Gary Roberts and Anthony Pilkington rip League One defences apart last season.

But Clarke, who joined the O’s in September on a 93-day loan, believes that Orient’s teenage winger George Porter is up there with the best of them.

And he insists that the youngster can play a big part in helping Orient continue to climb the table.

Clarke was full of praise for Porter after Saturday’s goalless draw with Stevenage and has watched the youngster progress during his short time at Brisbane Road.

“He has come in and is a good pro,” said Clarke.

“He is doing really well in matches. He was coming on and changing games. Now he’s starting and doing it on a 90-minute basis. You can give him the ball and he can do the rest.

“There are some good wingers at Huddersfield and I see George right up there,” added Clarke.

However, the O’s could be battling to hang on to Porter when the transfer window opens.

Ipswich have been watching the youngster and it’s been reported that Millwall and Nottingham Forest are also looking at the 19-year-old, who has burst on to the scene this season.

But while Porter could be leaving at some stage, one man likely to be joining the O’s is Queens Park Rangers winger Lee Cook.

It seems that a month’s loan deal has been agreed and is likely to be announced tomorrow (Thursday) before the loan window closes.

O’s boss Russell Slade said he was ‘very tempted’ to bring in a loan signing as cover for Dean Cox and winger Cook confirmed this week that he is set to complete a one-month loan switch to Brisbane Road.