Jack Currie - What to expect?
A quick look at Oxford's spicy new left-back
Just as fans were starting to worry that our window was coming to a halt, along came two new signings in the space of a week!
22-year-old left-back Jack Currie arrives with a great reputation from AFC Wimbledon, where he’s made great progress over the last two years.
Below, I take a look at his career so far, briefly analyse his style of play and wonder what it means for United’s existing left-backs.
Jack is a true Don, having joined Wimbledon as an 11-year-old and signed his first pro-deal in 2020.
He’d debut that year too, in the quarter-finals of the EFL Trophy against… Oxford United, of course!
The next couple of years saw loan moves to Maidstone United and Leatherhead, but it was a spell at Eastbourne Borough in 21/22 where he’d really start his senior career.
32 appearances in the National League South would help him mature, with Currie impressing enough to win the Players’ Player of the Season award.
A return to Wimbledon saw the club place a great deal of faith in the youngster, scoring on his league debut on the opening day against Gillingham.
41 League Two appearances followed, with Currie securing a starting XI spot and holding tight to it.
23/24 saw a continuation of that, with another 39 league appearances, 1 goal and 1 assist.
Bristol City came calling with multiple bids in January 2023, but were firmly rebuffed. Motherwell had a look a year later, again, rejected.
At the end of the last campaign he took home four awards, as well as the title of PFA Community Champion.
He credits a volunteering trip to Zambia and Botswana as being eye opening, studied business at St Mary’s University in Twickenham and chooses not to drink alcohol.
So how does he play? What kind of left-back are Oxford getting?
A piece from The Athletic’s Omar Garrick and Thom Harris identified Currie as one of the top 10 young talents in the Football League in 2023.
They picked out his intense defending first and foremost, using data to demonstrate how Currie is keen to defend on the front foot.
He was one of the leading players in the division for tackles and interceptions attempted in his debut season.
What’s better is that he won a great deal of them. In a struggling side which had to defend quite a lot, he thrived.
“For a player who attempts so many challenges, his win rate of 75.5 per cent is impressive, showing he is a solid, tough-tackling full-back who defends his flank well”, they said.
On the ball, it was a different story, with Currie far from the most expansive player in possession.
I’m happy to cut him some slack on that front though, as Wimbledon were pretty dismal in his first season and average at best in his second.
Garrick and Harris agree, saying how, “On the ball, Currie was not the most expansive last season… however, in a team who struggled, there is plenty of time to polish this side of his game.”
One thing Currie isn’t afraid of is getting forward.
Despite his low output, he’s a brave, flying full-back who was even deployed as a wing-back at times last season
He’ll get into great positions. With better quality around him, it’s a safe bet that his attacking contributions will see an uptick.
There are some more goals and assists to look at too!
The first is that league debut goal against Gillingham.
A great header, which showcases Currie’s unique ability to win headers despite being only 5ft 9in. He’d win 103 of his 183 aerial duels that season.
Next is an assist in the EFL Trophy.
Some great work on the left from our man, as he bursts into the box showing close control and a willingness to drive at his opponent.
He draws defenders and squares it to Hudlin who scores. A chance created out of nothing.
A deflection on this next goal, but it’s a great strike and yet again shows his willingness to get high up the pitch and break into the box.
He’s a marauding full-back if ever there was one.
Finally, a lovely assist from this season against Crewe.
Alert, proactive, he makes a great run behind the defenders and slips a lovely cutback to the striker.
He’s capable of creating a chance out of nothing in a split second. With more quality around him, you’d hope to see even more of this.
There’s not much to say in terms of where he’d fit into Des Buckingham’s side.
Currie is a left-back, who’s featured at left-wing-back when required.
A prospect with plenty of room for development on the ball, he’ll likely be an understudy to Joe Bennett initially.
The real question surrounds Greg Leigh. He’s still under contract, and presumably a fairly well paid one.
Does this mean that our Jamaican hero is on his way out?
Either way, this is a highly rated prospect with a huge upside.
A nice bloke and a hard worker, I think he’ll fit in well. This is the kind of deal which pays off fully a year or two down the line.
Plenty to like here once again. Ed Waldron and Des are putting together a great window so far. Long may it continue!
Hope you all enjoyed this one!
Ed and Des are treating us to lots of exciting signings, which means plenty of chances for me to get stuck into some Oxford writing again!
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Up the Ox!
