Former Orient midfielder joins Boro after four years spent at Brisbane Road

Stevenage have signed Jimmy Smith.

The attacking midfielder joins the club after a four-year spell at League 1 rivals Leyton Orient during which time he made 189 appearances and scored 22 goals.

The 26-year-old is the second former Orient player to join Boro in 2013 after centre-back Ben Chorley signed from the London club in January.

Smith began his career in the Chelsea youth academy and was given his professional debut by Jose Mourinho, this week back at Stamford Bridge, at Newcastle United in 2006.

He had loan spells at Queens Park Rangers, Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich City before leaving for Brisbane Road in 2009.

Smith was an important member of the Orient side that reached the FA Cup fifth round in 2011, and he signed a contract extension with the O’s in that year that tied him to the club until this summer.

Speaking about his decision to join Boro, Smith told the club: “I know a number of the lads already such as Ben Chorley from Orient and Filipe Morais and Anthony Grant from my Chelsea days and they only had good things to say about the club, so it was an easy decision to make.

“The training ground is amazing, right up there with some Championship and even Premier League facilities and I can’t wait for the new season.”