Musselburgh midfielder returns after spell in SFL with Hamilton

PAUL CURRIE signed off his Musselburgh Athletic career by scoring a last-gasp winner in a Cup Final against Linlithgow Rose.

Now he’s aiming to start his second spell at Olivebank by helping the East Lothian side claim the scalp of another Junior giant.

The 26-year-old midfielder is in the Burgh squad for tomorrow’s Scottish Cup clash with Auchinleck Talbot in the Honest Toun after being snapped up by David McGlynn.

It follows Currie asking to be released from his contract at First Division Hamilton, where he moved last summer for a four-figure fee from Berwick Rangers. Currie, who played under Craig Levein during a spell at Raith Rovers earlier in his career, joined the Borderers in 2009 after helping Musselburgh win promotion to the Super League.

He scored 21 goals in 78 appearances for the Shielfield Park club before earning a move to Hamilton.

But, after becoming fed up with sitting on the bench for the Lanarkshire outfit, Currie has returned to his home-town club for the rest of the season. “I’m a Musselburgh boy and really enjoyed my first spell for the club,” he admitted. “But when the chance came along to play Senior football with Berwick I couldn’t turn it down.

“It was the same story when I got the chance to go full-time at Hamilton but, unfortunately, I ended up becoming frustrated there.

“I was promised a fair crack of the whip but I found myself playing one game then not being involved for the next four or five weeks.

“I had a chat with (Hamilton manager) Billy Reid about it and I was able to get my contract terminated and a settlement.

“For some reason or another, I couldn’t go to another SFL club so my only option was to return to the Juniors.

“I still keep in touch with Davie McGlynn and I’m delighted to be back at Musselburgh.

“I still have a desire to go back into the Senior game and the gaffer has said he will help me find a club in the summer.”

Currie’s last game for Musselburgh proved memorable as he scored a late winner in a 2-1 success over Lithgae in the final of the St Michaels Cup at the end of the 2008/09 season.

“It would be nice to make the headlines again,” he said of tomorrow’s fourth-round clash with Talbot – a repeat of last year’s Junior Cup final at Rugby Park in Kilmarnock.

“It’s the perfect game for my first game back and I’m buzzing about it – I can’t wait to get back out on to the park.

“Everyone knows Auchinleck are a top side. Having spoken to some of the guys who played against them in the Junior Cup final last season, I know they are a really fit side and that’s one of their strengths.

“But they are beatable and we’ll certainly be going out with that target in mind on Saturday.”

McGlynn, pictured, has made some changes since Currie has been away at other clubs but he’s looking forward to linking up again with the likes of Chris King, Paul Tansey and Mattu King.

“There’s a lot of quality in the team and we will be going out to attack Auchinleck and see what happens,” he added.

“It feels as though I have never been away and it will be great to be back playing at Olivebank in front of a big crowd.”

The signing is a real coup for McGlynn, who is confident that Currie will be back playing in the SFL next season.

“Paul is too good to be playing Junior football and I will get him a Senior club in the summer,” said the Burgh boss. “In the meantime, we are delighted to have him back as he’s a fantastic player who knows the game inside out. He’s straight into the squad for Saturday and hopefully he can have the same sort of impact he did in his last game for us – the Cup Final against Linlithgow.”

On his side’s hopes of avenging a 2-1 defeat at Rugby Park last June, McGlynn added: “It will be very difficult but I think we are in better shape than the last time. On that occasion, I had to play a midfielder at left-back while Paul Tansey also needed an injection to play, which back-fired as he didn’t have the best of games that day.”