by Chris Harper

STEVE Currie has been the first name on the Stoke team-sheet for some 15 years – and shows no sign of weakening.

He made his debut when the city side was at National League level and is currently playing an experienced role in their continued resurgence.

Stoke won promotion from Midlands Three West (North) last season and go into Saturday's home game against Solihull two points off the top of Midlands Two.

"Stoke is a good place to be at generally and I see no reason why we should not sustain our challenge," said the 34-year-old prop forward.

"We have generated a good club and team spirit by getting the mix right. We have players who have come through the ranks and others, such as Sean Price, who have come back to give us added quality.

"There has also been a change of attitude. There was a time when we would bring in players from overseas to plug the gaps. But it was short term and denied those coming through the thriving minis and junior sections an opportunity."

Currie, whose career kicked off at Trentham for a couple of years, made his Stoke debut at the age of 19.

He recalled: "We played Rotherham and I was in a side that fielded players such as Steve Maskery, Jim Cheadle, Nigel Binns the captain, Simon Robson, Tosh Askew and Dave Potts.

"I think we finished third that season, but after the introduction of professionalism we struggled and went down and down.

"Players who, to my mind, should have stayed together, left. We lost seven or eight players to Longton, who moved up."

Stoke twice slumped into Midlands Three – once when Currie was captain in 2000 – and, while he feels a return to National League status could be a way off, he feels Midlands One is not out of reach.

Stoke are nicely placed at present and, with the youngsters receiving good coaching, the conveyor belt system should continue to produce first-team material.

It was a slim-line Currie who took to the field last season, having shed four stones at his peak to prolong his playing career and take the weight off an old knee problem.

He said: "I have been fortunate with injuries.

"I damaged my collar bone about 10 years ago and did my knee six or seven years ago."

Currie is happy enough with his form. He said: "I have slipped back a on the scales, but I can still get around the park more.

"As a team, we are winning games – six on the bounce in the league – but have not been happy with our performance. We need to relax a bit more.

"We should be unbeaten, but struggled for confidence at the beginning of the season when we lost twice.

"We beat Cheltenham North, who are at the bottom, but it was arguably our toughest game."

Currie's work as an insolvency practitioner has brought him closer to home, so he is able to train on a more regular basis.

He said: "I have not even thought about retirement.

"You are a long time on the sidelines and I can still hold my own."