BY ALAN TEMPLE – Capital City Press
Dunfermline striker Mickael-Antoine Curier is ready to prove he is still a top tier talent after claiming he has been unfairly written off.
The 32-year-old boasts 63 goals in the Premiership during several stints with Hamilton, Hibernian and Dundee, including eight for Accies in the first half of last season.
The big striker spent the summer looking for a club in Scotland after leaving Burton Albion – but “a lot of talking” did not lead to any concrete offer in the top-flight.
Curier penned a deal with League One leaders Dunfermline last Saturday and is determined to repay manager Allan Johnston for showing faith in him when others steered clear.
The Guadeloupe internationalist told Capital City Press: “There was a lot of talking [with clubs]. A lot of talking. But then you see a team signing a couple of players because they are young.
“Nowadays football is crazy, teams would rather sign a young player who is half-decent than a senior professional, who is a proven goalscorer.
“Good luck to them, I am happy to be wanted at Dunfermline and I am determined to score goals here and do well.
“I am proven, with my performances last year with Hamilton, but still people doubt me. Well they can just keep talking and I will look after myself.
“I am 32 and I know what I can do. I can deliver. A lot of players at 32 or 33 cannot do what I do, so I am grateful that I am still able to play to the best of my abilities.
“I know I have many years ahead of me to play at the highest level and I know I can do it. There’s no point me telling people, I need to show them that.”
Curier arrives at East End Park following a miserable six-month stint at Burton Albion, which was plagued by injury and saw him make just five appearances for the club.
He failed to score for the Brewers and, despite the club winning promotion to League One under the tutelage of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, it proved an errant career move.
Curier continued: “I’ll be honest, it my own mistake to go and play in the lowest division in England. It is another experience, but I should never have done it.
“I was still living in Scotland, travelling up and down was taking it’s toll and being by myself down there was difficult.
“They expected me to hit the ground running straight away, then I suffered an injury, which was not my fault. Maybe things would have been different if I had been there for pre-season.
“It was a pity because I could have done well. The people – the manager, the board, the players – were different class but I didn’t enjoy my time. ”
The Pars represents the twentieth club of the player’s career, spanning seven different countries.
He endured a meddling Sultan in Malaysia, an imprisoned chairman in Cyprus and suffered racist abuse in Kazakhstan.
However, he does not lament a single move in a remarkable career which now sees him in Fife.
He added: “I don’t regret anything, you are always learning. Some players don’t want to go anywhere or change clubs because they don’t want to leave their comfort zone. I don’t care about that.
“People will say ‘why did you go here?’. But I am not someone who is happy to just sit their and pick up money at a club. I will travel and take chances.”
