Jabo Ibehre

[ContrifibulatoryFred]

Retired today due to injury

I for one would like to wish him all the best for the future. He was a great player on his day, but a top top bloke every day.

Cheers Jabo

CF

[Clive Evans]

Yeah I thought he was great too. I hope he looks at this board.

[Dunners]

Agreed. However, up and down the country, users of recreation spaces adjacent to football grounds will breath a sigh of relief.

[Long slender neck]

FAO LING: DO NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT HIRE AS A STRIKING COACH

[ComeOnYouOs]

A decent man, I wish him well, but as a footballer while at Orient, bloody terrible.....couldnt hit a barn door etc etc etc.....

[Mistadobalina]

Think that's unfair. When he first broke through he was technically really excellent. I seem to remember him getting quite a serious injury early on and he increasingly became a target man after that cause of his physicality. Always felt like he had his flair trained out of him. Carved out a very decent career in the game after he left us.

[DuvB]

I loved the guy even when he missed by miles for us.

He did better for other teams.

Miss the Jab-O chant though.

[Omygawd]

Committed enough to come and join us in the crowd at times (was it Southend away he turned up at?). Great bloke, wholehearted and a reasonable player apart from his finishing. Given that he was a forward that was a bit of a problem though.

[Rich Tea Wellin]

Was better after he left us. Always remember that jinxing run in the playoff final against Blackpool that ended hitting the post. Sort of sums him up for us!

[PutneyO]

He may well make a brilliant striking coach, who knows.

[Exiled O]

I thought that the O's didn't really know what to do with him. He spent a great deal of time on the bench whilst players with a fraction of his talent started ahead of him. On his day he was simply unplayable and represented a real threat. I bet defenders hated playing against him. I never met him myself but by all acoounts he was a true gentleman off the pitch. He always gave 100% on the pitch and is one of my all time favourite O's players. They're aren't many O's players who've left the club in the last 25 years, that have gone on to have the career that Jabo did. Well done Jabo. Best of luck

[LittleMate]

Think that's unfair. When he first broke through he was technically really excellent. I seem to remember him getting quite a serious injury early on and he increasingly became a target man after that cause of his physicality. Always felt like he had his flair trained out of him. Carved out a very decent career in the game after he left us.

Agreed. In the early days he would turn and go at defenders, but as he got older he bulked up. I don't know whether that was because of injury/necessity but it change him as a player. Can't criticise him for that - he's 37 and retiring after about 20 years in the game making almost 600 appearances.

I hope he's used whatever he made wisely and finds something to do that gives him pleasure. Back in the day when the SS had a car park, he always had time for anyone in the SS bar.

[Mistadobalina]

He was a big figure during my formative years as an Orient fan so have an absolutely huge amount of love for the guy. And it's not often that a player makes over 200 appearances at any one lower league club, let alone one he came through as a youngster.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

600 games is pretty impressive.

Can't believe he's 37 and now retiring, makes me feel old.

[DuvB]

I remember when the Jab-O chant started in the corner of the East Stand

[Harlow]

Good Luck Jabo, you will always be synonymous with Leyton Orient

[Orient Punxx]

His assist in the 2007 game at Bradford will always stay in my memory.

Thanks Jabo

[Give it to Jabo]

his retirement is a loss to football. Universally liked where ever he played.

[Oiram]

Agreed. However, up and down the country, users of recreation spaces adjacent to football grounds will breath a sigh of relief.

Not as loud as the ‘sigh’ in response to your comment.

[KC & sunshine band]

well done mate you gave a brilliant shift
If were not for that post at cardiff, still a top man well done mate

[chris_orient]

One of my favourites growing up. Also grossly underrated in my view. He may not have been a prolific goalscorer but, if anything, that only serves to highlight the other strengths he brought to the field such as his exceptional hold up play and ability to bully defenders. If not for those assets, he wouldn't have had the exceptional lower league career he's had (mostly spent at clubs finishing higher than us I might add!).

The "barn door" jokers have never understood what he's consistently offered at our level but - just to entertain the idea of what could have been if Jabo were a top goalscorer as well - he'd never have played at our level if he was hitting the proverbial barn door on top of everything else!

[EliotNes]

Good luck in the future Jabo. Thanks for what you did in Orient colours.

[lordgriff]

On his day he was unplayable.
Yes he didn't score enough and was inconsistent but would still rate him as one of the better strikers I saw lead the line for Orient in League 2.

An absolute gent as well but as Mackie and Alexander have said in the past, probably just too nice a bloke to step up to the Championship or above.

I wish him nothing but the very best of luck for the future.

[RobertO]

Jabo appears to hint at return in tweet.

[Adz]

I'll never forget the play off final where he went on a mazy run past 3 players, curled the ball past the keeper, but it came back off the post. Kinda succinctly summed him, could do some amazing things, but wasn't that good at getting the ball in the back of the net. Still there's been plenty worse players than him who have made careers at a higher level.