No holding back when in-form Curtis comes face-to-face with his Republic team-mate
THEY’RE both aiming for the Republic of Ireland to qualify for UEFA Euro 2020 next summer.
But Ronan Curtis insists he won’t be shirking out of any challenges when he does battle with international team-mate Alan Judge.
The Pompey winger will come up against the Ipswich Town midfielder in tomorrow’s crunch League One clash at Fratton Park (3pm kick-off).
The pair played alongside each other in a 3-1 friendly win for the Irish over Bulgaria during September.
Curtis has been capped three times by Eire, although he was omitted from their squad for last month’s international friendly against New Zealand and the Euro 2020 qualifying match at home to Denmark.
He’s aiming to win his berth back in Mick McCarthy’s squad for Ireland’s play-off semi-final against Slovakia in March – a set-up Judge will likely be involved in, too.
First, though, they must go head-to-head and put club before country.
That’s a mindset Curtis – who’s bagged five goals in his past six games – firmly has leading into the PO4 encounter.
The former Derry City man knows Judge will be the same and that’s why both players will go hard into tackles.
Curtis said: ‘It’ll be my first ever time coming up against him because I’ve played with him a few times.
‘Now I’m coming up against him, it’ll be a good test for us and myself.
‘He is a good lad, Judgey. I haven’t really spoken to him, to be fair, but we know on the pitch there are going to be some tough battles going on.
‘After the game, I’ll speak to him, say hello and see how he’s doing. But in the game, if I have to make a challenge, then I will.
‘You’ve got to think of yourself and he is going to think of himself. He’ll think of himself going in hard and I’ll think of myself going in hard. ‘After the game, we’ll shake hands and say fair play. It is a battle on the pitch but then after you’ll be okay. It is going to be good.’
Curtis has netted eight goals in 22 appearances for Pompey this season.
Judge played for the likes of Notts County, Blackburn Rovers and Brentford prior to joining Ipswich earlier this year. The 31-year-old has won nine caps for Ireland and scored against the USA in June 2018.
– WILL ROONEY
Ronan Curtis has scored five goals in his last six outings for Pompey