Linfield midfielder Damian Curran last night backed the club’s move to sign Richard Clarke — despite knowing that his own place could be under threat.

And in a frank admission, the man who cost the Blues £10,000 from Newry City 18 months ago concedes that his performances of late have not been up to the required standards.

Linfield manager David Jeffrey is prepared to part with £20,000 in order to bring Clarke to Windsor Park and that’s a good deal as far as Curran is concerned.

“I rate Richard very highly. he is one of the best midfield players around,” said Curran.

“He is probably the kind of player that we need at the club and he would be a great signing.

“I think Richard has everything you look for in a midfielder. He scores goals and that is something that I don’t think I have done enough of, certainly this season.

“He can mix it up too when the going gets tough and he is a stronger tackler as well.

“We need reinforcements and the manager has made a good move in going after a player of the quality of Richard Clarke.”

Curran came in for criticism from the Linfield faithful after his move in the summer of 2007. The demanding Bluemen expect a player that cost a five-figure sum to light up Windsor Park, but he continually won the support of Jeffery.

This season he has occupied a more familiar central midfield role and his early season form was more like the Damian Curran that had been Newry’s talisman before his move.

Like a number of his team-mates, however, Curran’s form has dipped at just the same time as the team itself.

That isn’t an excuse that the former Everton trainee is willing to wheel out though.

“I am very disappointed with my own form,” admitted Curran.

“I think I started the season quite well and I’ve been up and down a bit since then.

“When the team isn’t playing well that’s when you look to players to step up and pull everyone else through. That hasn’t happened and I know that I haven’t done myself justice often enough.”

With a seven point gap to try to make up on Glentoran at the top of the table the Blues head to Glenavon tonight needing to get back on track after Saturday’s scoreless battle with Bangor.

Jeffrey has labelled it a ‘must, must win’ game at Mourneview Park and Curran is in agreement.

“We don’t want to be seven points off the lead, but we are and we have to deal with it,” he said.

“We’ve let the fans down a bit, but it’s only December, the league runs until the first Saturday in May, so there is a long way to go and we’ll keep fighting until such times as mathematics might rule us out of winning the title.

“It’s a tight league, teams are taking points off each other and people doing a bet on matches have lost a few pounds this season.

“We still have to play Glentoran four times as well, so seven points isn’t a lot really.”