Waterford’s modest midfielder hits a century

The quiet man in the Waterford engine room Michael Curry will make his 100th senior appearance on Saturday evening against Kildare in the Tailteann Cup.

“When you look around a dressing room before a big game, you want people like Michael Curry there with you,” says club and county colleague Conor Murray. “He is a great leader who lets his football do the talking.” Rathgormack manager Kenny Hassett also describes him as a modest character. “Michael is a man who quietly goes about his business but he’s always there to make a tackle, to support a team mate and to win the dirty ball. He’s been a driving force for club and county. All this shouldn’t hide the fact that his skill level is very high. He is comfortable kicking with both feet and will kick a score when in position.” After lining out for the Waterford juniors in 2013, Curry made his senior championship debut a year later against Clare. He has worked under six different Déise managers (Niall Carew, Tom McGlinchey, Benji Whelan, Shane Ronayne, Ephie Fitzgerald and Paul Shankey). 

Shankey says that he is a dream to deal with. “If we had fifteen Mike Currys, we’d be doing well! No drama, just a brilliant lad.” 

During McGlinchey’s tenure, he started all four games in the victorious 2015 McGrath Cup campaign. He even got a point in the final against UCC.

Scoring isn’t his forte. The workaholic midfielder prefers to roll up the sleeves and get stuck in. Like he did in the second half of the Munster championship win over Tipperary.

His team mates appreciate the hard yards he puts in. “Michael has an unbelievable engine," says Waterford goalkeeper Paudie Hunt. "He’d stay running up and down that field all day. Tackling, hitting, the dirty work. He doesn’t get the scores as much as he’d like to but he’ll run all day. He’s always there. He’s Mr Reliable.” Déise defender Dermot Ryan agrees. “Brilliant to play with and a nightmare to play against! In fairness to the man, he doesn’t stop. He has an engine that just keeps going and going.” 2024 marks Curry's eleventh season in a white and blue shirt and Hassett thinks that he still has more to give. “He has been magnificent for Rathgormack and Waterford over the years and I’ve no doubt there’s a few more left in him.” He won’t want any fuss but Waterford’s quiet man deserves the loudest roar on Saturday.