Craig Curran has only been with Connah’s Quay Nomads for a matter of months, but he has already achieved a great deal and is enjoying life with the Deeside club.
Despite playing just six games for the Nomads, he has already won a Cymru Premier title and tasted success in the Nathaniel MG Cup.
The 30-year-old also contributed one of the most important goals of the season when he netted in the 1-0 win over The New Saints in February – which saw the Nomads move four points clear of their title rivals.
Only arriving at the club in January, the forward has over 150 games in League One and more than 100 games in the Scottish Premiership, and it is the latter that provided a crucial moment for Curran.
Injury-hit and struggling, the Englishman described how linking up with manager Jim McIntyre at Ross County gave him the spark he needed to spring his footballing career back into life.
In the Welsh footballing system, he also sees similarities in his new coach, Andy Morrison, that has helped him settle in very quickly.
“Jim McIntyre was probably one of the most pivotal managers in my career,” he said.
“When I left, I think it was either Morecambe or Carlisle at the time, I’d suffered with injuries badly and I was struggling.
“And I was sort of on the cusp of coming out of the game and possibly looking to work with my dad, but he gave me an opportunity that sprung me back to life.
“I’m very grateful for what he and Billy Dodds did for me, they gave me a chance to go and play at that level which ended up being really good for me, and I ended up finding someone who could fix all my injuries.
“Moving to Scotland probably ended up being one of the most important decisions of my career and I loved every minute of it.
Embed from Getty Images“Andy Morrison is very similar; he reminds me of Jim and that’s why I think I took to him so well.
“He’s a guy that just tells it how it is, and he wants 100% effort from you at all times.
“You know where you stand with him and I don’t mind that. I like the way he goes about things with Craig [Harrison] and they do things very professionally.
“It just felt like a good match for where I’m at in my life as well. It gave me a bit of a buzz back for playing to be honest with you.
“Again, I was at another crossroads coming home, I didn’t know what I was going to do, I didn’t know whether or not I was going to continue playing.
“I feel like now I’ve got that same sort of feeling I had when I went to Ross County with Jim and those ended up being some of my most successful years, so I’m expecting and hoping that these are as well.”
Early beginnings
Curran started his career at Tranmere Rovers, pushing his way into the first team under then-manager Ronnie Moore, another Liverpool-born forward with links to the Tranmere area.
Scoring with his first-ever touch in senior football at Prenton Park against Brighton and Hove Albion, the striker also became a record-breaker for the club.
A hat-trick in 36 minutes against Brentford led to Curran becoming Tranmere’s youngest ever player to net three goals in a game since Dixie Dean.
Now, even at the Nomads, Tranmere still holds fond memories for Curran as his career has progressed.
Embed from Getty Images“I’ve got some of my fondest memories from growing up in Tranmere,” Curran continued.
“It was a local club for me, they gave me the opportunity to play right from the youth system up, so I’ve got nothing but fond memories of the place.
“The club, in general, was good, Ronnie gave me my chance and I’m grateful for that, when I left it’s pretty strange that it’s nearly ten years ago now, my career has flown by so quick, but it was good times.
“I left there at that time to try and progress my career which was a difficult decision at the time, but it was what was best.
“I’ve got nothing but good memories, there are good people there and they’ve got a good reputation of bringing lads through, so I wish them all the best in the future.
Slowing down and learning to enjoy the moment
Now at 30 years of age, Curran is recognising just how quickly a career can pass by if you don’t enjoy the moment, and is learning to slow down and appreciate the accomplishments whilst they’re happening.
Some of those times would include a memorable reserve game against a former Premier League star whilst on loan at Morecambe and winning the Johnstone Paint Trophy for Carlisle United.
Those are the memories that evoke joyful feelings for the forward.
“If I could go back in my career, I’d probably say first of all to stop lifting weights! That would be the very first thing I’d tell myself,” he laughed.
“I think I would say to just enjoy the moment.
“One of those things as a player is you’re always looking for that next moment and wanting to get to the next level and before you know it, you’re ten years down the line, it passes you by quickly.
“I think I would go back and slow down a little bit and try and enjoy it. That’s what I plan on doing for the next ten years of my career now, is just trying to enjoy it and not rush it as much.”
And one of those moments to slow down would undoubtedly come against former Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez.
Noticing the quality the Argentinian had despite coming back from injury, both strikers got on the scoresheet in the game.
Reminiscing also brought the forward to his Johnstone Paint Trophy victory with Carlisle United in 2011, and the feelings he had playing at Wembley.
“Tevez was very good. I think he may have been coming back from injury and I think it was my first game for Morecambe whilst there for a loan period after about a year out with injuries.
“Again, I enjoyed it, that was another club run by good people. Jim Bentley and Ken McKenna were there at the time and I know Jim’s not too good at the minute so I’m wishing him a speedy recovery.
“That was an enjoyable game, I think I got his top. Actually, I think my little brother ended up taking that.
“Playing at Wembley, it was brilliant, it was a great day.
Embed from Getty Images“We scored pretty early to be honest and Carlisle had lost the final to Southampton the year before. I think the panic set in a little bit in not wanting to lose it!
“It was a good day with parties and things afterwards, it was a great day and I didn’t realise it was almost ten years ago, but we got a good crowd as well.
“I’m sure there was a really good crowd there, it was roasting hot, all the family was there, it was a moment to be proud of.”
Champions League excitement and recognising the talent
With Connah’s Quay qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next season thanks to their title success, Curran is looking forward to the opportunity to show what he can do in Europe.
And the forward admits there is plenty of talent within the Welsh system waiting to be found, with some of the older players at Deeside providing strong guidance for those with potential at the club.
Whilst there will be a strong focus on progressing in the Champions League, Curran says there will be no shying away from defending the Nomads’ title.
“I’m just looking forward to getting back and playing but it’s going to be a great experience playing in the Champions League,” he remarked.
“It’s something that not many people will be able to say that they’ve done, so I’ll be chomping at the bit and then the main focus will be going on and winning the league again.
“It’ll be as simple as that; I don’t think anyone is going to shy away from that and that will be our main focus for the season.
“There are some really good players in the Cymru Premier. It was a little bit like when I went up to Scotland from England.
“Down in England you didn’t really take too much notice of them, some of the players I played with up there were better than those up in England.
“It’s the same with some of the boys I’m playing with now, there are some really good lads and some really good players. They could play at a higher level no doubt.
“Everyone ends up at different points for different reasons, but from ability wise I’ve no issue putting some of the boys that I play with in some of the other teams that I have played with.
“From our team I could go through them all. You’ve got some of the older boys that I think have been really good at guiding the others.
“George Horan, Michael Wilde, Danny Harrison, Callum Morris and Danny Holmes, we’ve got some really good lads guiding some of the younger boys who’ve all got very good potential.
“It’ll be enjoyable, and we’ll see what happens, let’s see how far we can get.”
(Featured Image: NCM Media)
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