Friends reunited as Jabo faces the O’s

1:17pm Wednesday 3rd September 2008

FORMER Orient striker Jabo Ibehre is out to prove a point to old mentor Martin Ling as the east Londoners get set to face his new club Walsall on Saturday.

Ibehre, a successful product of the O’s youth set-up has been in fine form since his summer switch to the Saddlers, with two goals in four games.

And the former fans’ favourite at Brisbane Road, is hoping that he will get a good reception off the travelling support at the weekend.

He said: “I’m excited about playing the match like any other match, but I’ve never experienced anything like this so it should be exciting playing against my mates and people that I know very well.

“It will be an experience and maybe even emotional. I don’t think the away fans will give me too much stick.

"I came through the youth team and I tried my best there, so hopefully I’ll be OK.

“There was no bad blood when I left. The gaffer was brilliant to me. He was my youth team manager as well so he’s got me to where I am today.

"Now it’s for me and the manager here to push on even further.

“Martin Ling’s helped me along the way and I’ll keep going.

"Hopefully part of his team talk will be telling them to try and stop me but I’ll be doing my best to score goals and win the game for Walsall.”

And it appears as if the 25-year-old frontman still has fond memories of his time at the O’s.

“I was at Orient from the age of 12 so I’d been there for the past ten years,” he told the Walsall Mercury.

“I had a great time and enjoyed it there. Sometimes you get a little bit comfortable and you need to get out of your comfort zone.

“The bigger the risks the greater rewards, so that’s why I’m here.”

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