Good Job Paul Cook – This 24-year Old Speedster Is A Great Coup For Wigan Athletic

Why Speedster Gavin Massey Is A Great Signing For Wigan

League One outfit Wigan Athletic have signed former Leyton Orient winger Gavin Massey on a two-year contract. The 24-year-old arrives at the DW Stadium as a free agent having been released from Orient at the end of June, and the man from Watford passed his medical and put pen to paper on what is his third permanent career move.

Massey scored 8 goals in 36 league games for Leyton Orient last term and arrives at the Latics ready to add competition for Michael Jacobs, Ryan Colclough and Sanmi Odelusi. The fact that his goals were scored in the fourth tier last season means a step up is required in order to compete. But the danger is that Massey may have looked like a good player in a bad team.

Indeed, Orient were relegated from the football league last season and will now compete in the National League, a decline forewarned by those close to the club after West Ham were allowed to take over the Olympic Stadium and potentially steal some of the O’s fan base.

For his part though, Massey can only look forward and having been in danger of being labelled a journeyman, he has the chance to settle at a fine club at League One level and perhaps even challenge for a place in the Championship before long.

Having started out in the youth teams at his hometown club Watford, Massey was loaned out on four occasions to Wealdstone, Yeovil Town and Colchester (twice) before moving permanently to the Essex side in 2012. He went on to make 178 appearances for Colchester at around this level, scoring 21 times and so his ability in League One has been tested before.

Despite a seemingly acceptable performance level, Massey was farmed out to Leyton Orient of League Two last season, though he was the O’s stand out player during their tragic season.

This move represents Massey’s first venture north and a change of surroundings will do him a world of good.  Capable of playing on either wing, he is happier perhaps on the right and that is an area Wigan particularly needed to strengthen.

Massey’s League One record overall is played 182, scored 23 and made 20, which is impressive enough for a wide man. All in all, he has had a hand in a goal at this level every 300 minutes of pitch time. While that is not spectacular, it’s certainly a contribution.

Given his age, Wigan can bank on the fact that Massey will continue to improve and his pace at this level could be a key ingredient in their team.