Orient FA Cup hero Keeley full of 'swagger' - Wellens

Josh Keeley has made 17 appearances in all competitions since joining Leyton Orient on loan from Tottenham Hotspur

Leyton Orient's goalkeeping hero Josh Keeley has the "swagger" and personality to go far in the game, says head coach Richie Wellens.

The 21-year-old made a crucial save to deny Callum Elder as the League One side beat Derby County 6-5 in a penalty shootout in the FA Cup third round on Tuesday.

The tie finished 1-1 after 120 minutes following first-half goals from Charlie Kelman and Dajaune Brown.

Keeley also saved a spot-kick as the O's beat Boreham Wood on penalties in the first round and scored a match-saving equaliser in the ninth minute of added time as the London side squeezed past Oldham Athletic in round two.

"His reputation is growing all the time," Wellens told BBC Radio London after the win against the Rams.

"I'm a big believer that goalkeepers, it's not making great saves from penalties, it's about having the character about you to believe you can save it. Josh has got that personality and that swagger.

"The fact that he comes up and keeps us in the competition with that header is the extreme, but the kid has got a lot of character and will go far in the game."

Aside from his Cup heroics, Keeley has been a consistent presence in League One, keeping 10 clean sheets in 14 games, while his save percentage of 75% is the joint sixth-highest in the division.

The Republic of Ireland Under-21 international, who joined Spurs from St Patrick's Athletic in 2022, spent the second half of last season on loan at National League Barnet, where he made 18 appearances as the North London side reached the play-off semi-finals.

'Keeley's talent undeniable' - winning penalty-scorer Obeiro

Zech Obeiro came off the bench to score the match-winning penalty for Leyton Orient

Keeley's save from Callum Elder with the score at 5-5 in the shootout gave Orient academy graduate Zech Obeiro the chance to settle the match with the 12th spot-kick.

"I thought if I put it down the middle I was pretty confident I'd score," Obeiro told BBC London TV.

"We're such a close team. So everyone was just buzzing for me, the gaffer, staff, everyone. It was an amazing feeling."

The 19-year-old has made 27 appearances for the O's since his debut in 2022, scoring one goal. He praised Keeley for his performance across all three FA Cup ties so far.

"Yeah, he's unbelievable as a person as well. But yeah, his talent is undeniable," he added.

"The things he's done, even during the game. Some people don't know but he's pulled out great saves in many, many games that's kept us in it. So yeah, he's a great talent."

Orient looking to make signings in January - Wellens

Richie Wellens' Orient side have won their past five league games and sit eighth in League One

Keeley's next test in the FA Cup should prove his most challenging as Orient's reward for beating Derby is a home draw against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.

Despite their faltering recent league form, Pep Guardiola's side dismantled Salford City 8-0 to advance to the fourth round of the cup.

Wellens said the mindset in the fanbase used to be "typical Orient, we get a brilliant draw against Manchester City and we go and get beat [in the round before]" but times are changing.

"We're not typical Orient no more, we're a growing club. The fans were brilliant tonight, the energy in the stadium felt alive," he said.

Orient are yet to make any moves in the transfer market during the January window but Wellens said chairman Nigel Travis had assured him there was money to spend this month.

Wellens' squad has several young players on first-time loans: Keeley plus Spurs team-mate Jamie Donley, forward Sonny Perkins from Leeds United, left-back Jack Currie of Oxford United and Tuesday night's goalscorer Charlie Kelman from QPR.

"I think we've done one [deal] today so that'll get announced tomorrow, hopefully I'm not jumping the gun," Wellens said.

"We need a permanent centre forward, the problem is every centre forward put towards us is a loan. We just need some bodies to lighten the load."