ALEX INGLETHORPE admitted it was not easy to leave Orient to become Exeter City manager - but the lure of a senior role proved too strong in the end.

The 32 year-old will become one of the youngest professional managers in the country when he assumes control at St. James' Park on Monday, but just eight months after returning to Brisbane Road, it was not a move he was expecting to make.

"I've enjoyed every single minute of my time at Orient and I didn't expect this opportunity to come so early, I wasn't looking to move on.

"In the end it was too big a chance too good to turn down but of course I'll miss Orient - I've made no secret of what the club means to me and it'll be a wrench to leave.

"But football is a nomadic business and when opportunities come your way you have to take them.

Inglethorpe, a former Orient player who re-joined the club in February from Leatherhead, where he was player-manager, enjoyed immediate success as the young O's won the Merit League title at the end of last season.

"The youth team lads responded well to me coming in and it was a great achievement that we did so well and won the Merit League in the way that we did.

"We started this year really brightly and have had three players move up to the first team which is a good indication of how things have been going.

"The boys have worked incredibly hard over eight or nine months and I would like to thank all of them for their time, effort and behaviour over that period - they've been a pleasure to work with.

Inglethorpe's final word was to praise Martin Ling, his former teammate, who appointed him as youth team coach after Ian Culverhouse's promotion to assistant manager.

"The club's in an incredibly good position at the minute, I've seen a few managers with Martin I can say that the club is in fantastic hands, and Orient is lucky to have someone as forward thinking and responsible as he is.

"I genuinely believe we can get promoted and I thank Martin for giving me the job in the first place - I only hope that Exeter won't be playing Orient next season because both clubs will have been promoted!"

Inglethorpe's final match as youth team manager ended in a 0-0 home draw against Colchester United.

Daniel Glozier missed a penalty as the O's failed to break the U's down, leaving Inglethorpe to reflect: "we probably deserved a little more out of the game - our defenders did well but we should have capitalised on a few chances."

Orient: Paul Jones; Greg Tiffin, Joe O'Cearuill, Daniel Glozier, Aidan Palmer; Jason Demetriou, Tom Ziepe, Tommy Laxton, Derek Duncan; Efe Echanomi, Scott Wallis.
Subs: Bryan Glover for Laxton (55), Prince Toku for Demetriou (55), Nuno Gourgel for Echanomi (75).