Romain Vincelot admits he is putting pressure on himself to perform consistently during his short-term move to Brisbane Road.

The French midfielder agreed a deal to join Leyton Orient until the end of the season earlier this month after being released from Championship outfit Brighton & Hove Albion. Vincelot is keeping his options open regarding his long-term future but believes his time with the O’s will help decide where he plays his football next season.

The 27-year-old said: “I wanted this kind of contract because I just wanted to play and then put a bit of pressure on myself to really get the most out of myself and see then what I can do after June.

“It’s always the case when you are a footballer you just want to play as much as possible. That’s why I came to Leyton Orient. I just wanted to have this three-month spell and play each game if I can.”

Vincelot is no stranger to east London after an 18-month spell at League Two side Dagenham & Redbridge. The versatile midfielder is comfortable in the locality and insists he has settled in quickly with his new club.

He said: “I’m settling in really well. I’m used to the area as well because I was in Dagenham before and I used to live near Leyton so it just took me two days to get a flat and get settled.”

Vincelot came up against Orient a number of times while playing for the Daggers and was impressed with their style of football. Since joining the club, he has enjoyed working with manager Russell Slade, who he credits for encouraging the team to be adventurous on the pitch.

Vincelot said: “When I was at Dagenham we played four times against Orient in one season so I knew there was a lot of enthusiasm from them and the manager and they try to play. I feel really good and I like the spirit of the team. He really encourages players to try things and not to hide so I like the way he manages.”

His game time has been restricted this season after falling out of favour at Brighton but Vincelot did have a loan spell at Gillingham in October. His contract with the Seagulls was ended last month but the Frenchman insists he feels in decent shape despite his lack of first-team football in this campaign.

Vincelot said: “I feel alright considering I didn’t play for two months but when I was at Gillingham I played about 11 games in two months so it came back quickly.”

The O’s new signing was used in his preferred midfield role on his first two starts for the club but has also comfortably adapted to playing at full-back during his career. He is willing to slot into the side wherever Slade wants to use him but believes playing in midfield will bring out the best in his game.

“I prefer to play in centre midfield,” he explained. “That’s where I think my qualities are made for. I can defend and attack which is what I like doing in football. But I don’t mind starting somewhere else because as a player I just want to play but personally I prefer midfield.”

Vincelot has a strong track record in front of goal in England, having finished top scorer for Dagenham with 12 goals two years ago. He also netted on his debut for Gillingham and came close to getting off the mark for Orient in their goalless draw at Sheffield United on Tuesday night.

Vincelot, who moved over to England three years ago, said: “I think we could have won the game and we were really close to doing that because we had a few chances. At the end it was a bit of a crazy game.

“I think we could have done a bit better in terms of a result but not in terms of the effort. Our effort was really good and we put in a great reaction after a bad week so it was a good response.”

The O’s more than held their own at the Blades and Vincelot believes the result and performance proves they can compete with the best sides in League One.

The utility player added: “That’s what we needed because we’ve been frustrated by our results which is a good sign. It shows that we are ambitious because we’ve come to Sheffield United and because of the performance we are bit frustrated [with the draw].

“The last week we were not where we were supposed to be in terms of performance but that’s when you are professional. You have to react quickly and we did that which is a good thing. Now we have to pick up as many points as possible.

“Our last victory was against Tranmere who were top of the league at the time so we know we’re a team that can beat the top sides. That’s why we produced this performance because we believe in ourselves,” he said.