DARREN Currie made a dream debut for Ipswich against the team he supported as a kid.Now at the age of 30 Currie does not have the same allegiance to QPR, who he followed when his uncle Tony played for them more than 20 years ago.

DARREN Currie made a dream debut for Ipswich against the team he supported as a kid.

Now at the age of 30 Currie does not have the same allegiance to QPR, who he followed when his uncle Tony played for them more than 20 years ago.

It is a good job really as his terrific strike to give the Blues a 3-2 lead at Loftus Road was the second time he had scored against Rangers this season. In September he netted for Brighton at the Withdean Stadium, although the Seagulls lost that game 3-2.

Currie also set up Town's equaliser after Paul Furlong had twice scored for QPR following Jason De Vos's opener for Town.

The £250,000 Town paid for him looks a good investment already and will be totally vindicated if he can do what Darren Huckerby did for Norwich and ensure they win promotion to the Premiership.

Currie said: “It was a dream debut. I could not have asked for more.

“My world was turned upside down in the space of 24 hours. From preparing to play Millwall for Brighton things changed and I have come here and I'm delighted with my contribution.

“I have been around and played enough games so whether it is playing on the wing for one team or another it was no problem for me to go out there and do what I'm good at.”

The EADT revealed in later editions on Friday morning that Currie would sign for the Blues from Brighton. He trained with the squad that morning and completed his medical and signed his contract at lunchtime, giving him little time to meet his new team-mates.

Currie, signed on a free transfer by Brighton from Wycombe Wanderers in the summer, has also played for Shrewsbury, Leyton Orient, Hartlepool, Plymouth and Barnet.

He said: “Apart from that session, I had a bit of time on the coach travelling down here to get to know the lads, although I knew quite a few already. They have been excellent and helped me fit in straight away.”

Four minutes after replacing Kevin Horlock, who will miss the Wigan game after picking up his fifth yellow card, Currie was involved in Darren Bent's equaliser.

Fourteen minutes later he notched his first goal for Town, and his third of the season, although his 25-yard shot went in off a defender. Currie was delighted with the way he struck it. He said: “It felt right as soon as I hit it and the ball took a bit of a deflection to take it past the keeper.”

Trailing 2-1 after going ahead through Jason De Vos, Town were looking for inspiration.

Currie said: “We felt at half-time that we weren't quite at it. The Gaffer made his point and told the lads where we needed to improve.

“We went a bit slack after going a goal up but from what I gather the lads were more like themselves second half and the passing got better and the goals came along.”

There was no room for sentiment for Currie, who used to sit in the old Loftus Road stands as a nipper.

He said: “I used to follow QPR a lot when I was a kid. I was mascot a couple of times when my uncle Tony was here as a player.

“It was my team as boy but I have now scored two goals against them this season.”

Currie will make his home debut for Town against Wigan on Tuesday, December 21, taking the place of the suspended Horlock.