Manchester United have opted to cut short the season-long loan spell at Leyton Orient for midfielder Jack Moorhouse after conversations with the League One club.
The 20-year-old was handed the opportunity to gain regular first team experience for the first time in his career in August when he joined the O’s on a temporary deal. This followed an excellent 2024/25 campaign, where the academy graduate excelled at under-21 level. This led to him being named in the matchday squad against both Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal in February and March last year respectively.
Moorhouse made his senior debut for Orient the day after joining the club, coming on as a substitute in the 3-0 defeat against Huddersfield Town on August 2nd. By September, he had broken into the starting lineup, with his first goal arriving in a 3-1 victory over Peterborough United in the EFL Trophy.
Despite reaching last season’s League One play-off final, where they narrowly lost to Charlton Athletic, the London-based side are currently in a scrap to maintain their third tier status. This has seen the youngster’s game time become inconsistent, with his most recent outing coming from the bench during a 1-0 loss against basement side Port Vale.
Orient Boss Confirms Manchester United Communication
The winter transfer window proved a busy period for Orient. Hoping to avoid a shock relegation to League Two, yesterday saw five new arrivals at Brisbane Road. This also led to Moorhouse’s departure, with manager Richie Wellens admitting that he had held conversations with the player’s parent club. Speaking to the club’s official website, the 45-year-old, who is also a former United academy graduate, said:
“Jack is undoubtably a very talented footballer and I think our fans have seen that in flashes this season. Given the situation we currently find ourselves in, we thought it may limit his game time and we have been very open with Manchester United about this.
“We value our relationship with them and, with him returning, we have been able to bring someone else in to fill the space in the squad.”
Jack Moorhouse has returned to Manchester United 🔄
Wishing you all the best for the future, Jack 🤝#LOFC #OneOrient
— Leyton Orient FC (@leytonorientfc) February 3, 2026
What Next For Jack Moorhouse?
On the face of it, this looks an odd decision due to the timing. With the transfer deadline having now passed, there is no opportunity for the Red Devils to explore other temporary options for the midfielder. However, it is probably the best decision.
Moorhouse has gained an invaluable experience at Leyton Orient in an extremely physical league. It’s this area in which he perhaps struggled at times and dropping back down to his own age group for the remainder of the campaign may benefit him.
This will allow the Republic of Ireland under-21 international to gain regular minutes for the remainder of the season. An additional temporary move can then be explored once again next season.