LEYTON Orient are keen on signing Southend United defender Adam Barrett on loan for the remainder of the season.

O’s manager Andy Edwards played alongside Barrett during his own spell with the Shrimpers.

And Blues boss Phil Brown confirmed Edwards was now keen on being reunited with the 37-year-old centre-back.

“Orient’s manager approached me about Adam direct and said he was keen on taking him on loan for the rest of the season,” said the Blues boss.

“He said he was going to ask the board for advice on what to do next but I’m still waiting to hear back from him.”

Barrett came through the youth system at Leyton Orient but failed to make a first appearance at Brisbane Road before being released.

However, the defender later returned to make 14 appearances on loan with the O’s towards the end of the 2010/11 season and is now wanted for a third time by the League Two strugglers.

The popular Barrett, who grew up supporting Southend, began the current campaign as club captain and started the first 12 league games of the season.

But the former Belfairs High School pupil fell out of favour following Blues’ 3-0 defeat at Rochdale in early October and has made the squad just once in 17 games since, starting the 4-0 defeat at Stevenage in the Checkatrade Trophy.

Brown added Barrett has just resumed full training after missing the last three weeks with a calf injury.

The defender is currently in his second spell with the Shrimpers and has made a total of 354 appearances, the eighth highest in the club’s history.