EX-LEYTON Orient striker Simon Church said he would 'love' to return to Brisbane Road if things do not work out at current club Reading.

Speaking to the Guardian this week, fresh from making his international debut for Wales, Church said: "Reading is my first port of call now. I want to play in the Premier League.

It's important for me to break into the team, but if I'm not playing and the O's offer a loan, I'd love to go back there.“

The 20 year-old striker, who was on loan from Reading at the end of last season, scored five vital goals to help Orient avoid the drop out of League One.

Church, along with strike partner Scott McGleish, struck up a fine partnership. Church remembers the spell fondly, compared to less happy spells on loan at other clubs.

“I really enjoyed Orient. That's the first thing I say to anyone who asks. Other places I've been to, I didn't really enjoy, but Orient is a really good club and the fans are brilliant.

"It improved me."

He added: "Orient try and play football, but some days I had to battle it out. I had to do things I didn't want to do like chase the ball, go wide, and sacrifice chances.

"Geraint (Williams) let us go out there and enjoy ourselves, but we had to put in 100% for everyone. And that's what got us out of trouble: not playing just for ourselves.”

This week Church was making his international debut for the Wales senior team in their 1-0 win away in Azerbaijan.

"It was one of the proudest moments of my career,” he said.

It was certainly a change from the likes of Stockport, Cheltenham and Swindon.

“It was a massive difference," he added. "It was very hostile. There were 27,000 people all against you, there was police there, and the army with guns too.

“Places like Cheltenham are nice family experiences. Okay, the Stockport pitch was more like a beach than a football pitch, but those are the differences you get in the various leagues and places that I'm going to as part of my development. It can only help.”

Asked to pick a favourite moment, he chooses his brace against Leeds United in the 2-2 draw at Brisbane Road.

“It was a great night, especially as they tried taking my first goal away, I couldn't believe that,” he said of the touch he got on Sean Thornton's 25-yard free-kick.

“I was running off celebrating, turned around and nobody had followed me. It took a while for them to give it to me, but afterwards I showed everyone the replays. I said it was me, and Sean said 'yeah, fair enough, I know you touched it'."

Read part two of our Simon Church interview tomorrow at guardian-series.co.uk/sport to get the inside view on the O's players who escaped to League One safety last season.