TOM CLARKE will return to Leyton Orient on Tuesday desperate for the chance to help defeat the club who provided him with a major pick-me-up earlier this season.

The versatile 24-year-old and longest-serving member of the current Huddersfield Town squad played 12 times for the East Londoners when loaned out by former manager Lee Clark in September.

Now he’s aiming to keep his place in Simon Grayson’s League I promotion-chasing side after impressing at left-back in the wins at Chesterfield and at home to leaders Charlton.

Clarke, who made his Town debt back in 2005, played a key role in cutting out the supply to Charlton frontman Bradley Wright-Phillips last Saturday.

But he knows Calum Woods is pushing for a place and experienced Gary Naysmith is closing in on a return after a knee problem.

“It’s injuries that got me in, but I want to keep the shirt now,” said the academy product who has made seven Town appearances this season and 101 in all ahead of today’s trip to Carlisle.

“It will be hard as Gary’s played at the highest level and Calum’s great with both feet. I know I’ve got to get my head down in training and keep working hard.”

Clarke, who lived in one of apartment blocks overlooking the Brisbane Road pitch during his capital stint, said the Orient loan was crucial to keeping up his form and fitness.

“The loans definitely came at crucial times,” Clarke said. “I was able to play games and show managers that I can play good football at this level.

“And the first thing the new gaffer said is everyone starts with a clean sheet. You can see it in the way Joey Gudjonsson’s had a good run of games under him.

“I was determined to train well and get in the gaffer’s thoughts. But with the squad we’ve got you can’t take anything for granted. Training’s certainly been tasty!”

Jordan Rhodes sealed the win with a penalty that broke a 20-year-old goalscoring record while Charlton had Darel Russell sent off for retaliation.

Clarke added of the victory: “It was an important win that keeps us in the hunt for a top-two finish. And they’d beaten us at their place, so we owed them one.

“We played well and I thought we deserved to win. But even after they went down to 10 men it was tough for us. That’s a measure of how good a side they are.

“We had to defend well and tried to catch them on the break. It also helped that we had Alan Lee to come on. He took a lot of pressure off the defenders late on.”

On Rhodes becoming Town’s post-war record scorer Clarke said: “It’s no surprise as he’s a natural finisher and it couldn’t happen to a nicer lad.

“I think it was in the back of our minds that if we got a penalty Jordan should take it to get the record.

“He scorers them in training and certainly put that one away well.”