Leyton Orient manager Richie Wellens has confirmed that goalkeeper Noah Phillips is set to leave Brisbane Road on loan, with the club's more experienced options now competing for the two spots in the matchday squad.

Why Phillips is heading out

The 21-year-old featured in five of Orient's first eight fixtures across all competitions this season, deputising for the injured Nathan Baxter in three League One matches and keeping two clean sheets. He also played a key role in back-to-back penalty shoot-out victories last month. Despite that encouraging start, Phillips found himself absent from the squad entirely for the 1-1 draw at Luton at the weekend, with Baxter returning from injury and deadline-day loan signing Oliver Dovin, who arrived from Coventry, taking the bench spot.

Wellens was candid about the thinking behind the decision when speaking to BBC Radio London. "It was a tough decision for me," he said. "I see Noah at this moment as a young goalkeeper, making his way in the game, and I see Oliver and Nathan as the finished article at this level, so it would be stupid of me to not put them in."

The development plan

The Orient manager was clear that the loan move is part of a considered long-term plan rather than a sign that Phillips has no future at the club. "My plan with Noah is to loan him out because he's had that taste of first-team football, and I want him to continue that so that in six months, a year, or 18 months, he's ready to be our first-team goalkeeper," Wellens explained.

It is a well-trodden path for Phillips, who has previously had loan spells at non-league sides Hornchurch, Bishop's Stortford and Dorking Wanderers. A move to a Football League club would represent a step up from those earlier temporary departures and underline how far Wellens believes the shot-stopper can progress.

The goalkeeper picture at Orient

With Baxter fit again and Dovin newly arrived, Orient now have two experienced senior goalkeepers competing for the number-one shirt in League One. That depth is clearly a positive for the club's campaign, but it leaves little room for a young goalkeeper still establishing himself at this level.

No destination for Phillips has been reported at this stage, and the precise timing of any loan agreement is not yet known. Orient are understood to be working through their options, but Wellens' comments suggest a move is firmly the intention rather than merely a possibility. The club will be hoping to place him somewhere that offers regular starts, given that consistent first-team exposure, rather than squad cover, is the stated aim.

For supporters keeping a close eye on the O's squad, the situation is worth monitoring as the window for domestic loans remains open. Whether Phillips ultimately stays in the third tier or drops down the pyramid, Wellens has made the development logic clear: regular minutes now in exchange for readiness later.

Frequently asked

Why is Noah Phillips being loaned out by Leyton Orient?
Manager Richie Wellens says that with Nathan Baxter fit again and Oliver Dovin joining on loan from Coventry, there is no regular first-team place for Phillips right now. Wellens wants the 21-year-old to get consistent playing time elsewhere so he can develop into Orient's long-term number one.
Where has Noah Phillips been on loan before?
Phillips has previously had loan spells at Hornchurch, Bishop's Stortford and Dorking Wanderers, all at non-league level. A new loan move would likely represent a step up for the young goalkeeper.
Who are Leyton Orient's goalkeepers this season?
Orient's two senior keepers are Nathan Baxter, who has returned from injury to reclaim the starting spot, and Oliver Dovin, a deadline-day loan signing from Coventry who is currently serving as back-up.