There’s been lots of speculation recently about resigning former players like Vincelot and Cuthbert, so maybe it’s also time to ask whether we could – and should – resign fan favourite, Dean Cox.
Coxy currently has a year on his contract with Crawley Town but a lack of game time suggests that he might be looking for a new club this summer.
Cox started his career with Brighton and Hove Albion and made 179 appearances for the Seagulls, scoring 22 goals. He moved to the Os in 2010, signing for his former Brighton manager Russell Slade. He became a key figure in E10 over the next 6 years, making 275 appearances, scoring 59 goals and contributing who knows how many assists. He was a key part of the League One play-off final team in 2014, scoring a memorable goal in the semi-final second leg at Brisbane Road, and again at Wembley.
Sadly the arrival of Bechetti signalled a difficult spell for both Cox and Orient. Injuries restricted his contribution during the 14-15 season and didn’t help the Os cause, as they were relegated. Cox struggled with injuries again the next season but started the 16-17 season brightly and attracted interest from a number of higher league clubs. Unfortunately, when Cox refused a move to Northampton, Bechetti spat out his dummy and his contract was cancelled ‘by mutual consent’ a day after the window closed.
Cox swiftly moved to Crawley to link up with his mate Jimmy Smith but the transfer rules meant he was unable to play until January 2017. He made 22 appearances during the 2nd half of the season, scoring 2 goals and helping guide Crawley to safety. Sadly, as it turned out, former Liverpool and Leeds star Harry Kewell took over as manager in the summer of 2017 and it didn't bode well for Deano.
It seems incredible that any club with a fit Cox on their books wouldn’t play him. But that’s what’s happened with the diminutive winger making only 5 appearances this season. His absence from the team even prompted the creation of a “Where’s Dean Cox?” twitter account and speculation about why he wasn’t in the team. Kewell himself suggested that a lack of application led to his exclusion but that seems hard to stomach after his attitude at the Os. Perhaps more believable are rumours that Crawley can’t afford to pay Cox’s performance bonuses – fuelling speculation about a summer departure.
A straw poll showed most fans were in favour of a return, but with legitimate questions about his fitness and form and whether it was a good idea to keep looking to past players.
He’ll be 31 this August but Cox surely still has the quality to unlock National League defences. More pertinent is whether Cox would prefer a move to another EFL club and whether his wage demands could be met. I would also worry slightly whether his resigning would limit the development of Koroma and Brophy.
Still, Cox has expressed his desire to return to E10 at some point in his career so maybe we will see him grace the Orient flanks once again.