It's hard to believe that nearly 20 years has passed since Leeds paid their local rivals Sheffield United [[sterling]]270,000 to secure his services. It was at the height of the swinging sixties - 1968 to be exact - that Currie first arrived at Bramall Lane. He brought a touch of London glamour to Yorkshire, striding majestically through the Blades midfield with that distinctive shock of blond hair.
He was arguably the finest midfielder of his generation and the obvious replacement for Johnny Giles when Don Revie's great side began to break up in the mid-seventies.
TC's playing days are will behind him now, but he's still very much involved in the game that has been his life. He is just about to celebrate seven years as Sheffield United's Football in the community officer, but still has many fond memories of his time with Leeds United.
"I had three great seasons there," he tells us "I already knew people like Clarkey, Hunter and Madeley through playing for England, but the team was going through a bit of a transition when I arrived in 1976. Jimmy Armfield put together a very good side, bringing in the likes of Arthur Graham, Bryan Flynn and Ray Hankin.
"Actually, Ray now does the same job as me at Newcastle. I still bump into some of the lads at dinners and other gettogethers."
Tony still believes he was playing the best football of his career when he left United for Queens Park Rangers in 1979. His wife had grown homesick for London and at the age of 29 Currie packed his bags and returned to the Smoke.
"I would have stayed a Elland Road," he says. "We were playing some good stuff and I had a great relationship with the crowd. I only left for family reasons,"
Leeds' loss was QPR's gain. Tony went on to lead his new club to and FA Cup final appearance against Tottenham and he was second in the PFA Player of the Year awards.
Tony had more that his fair share of injuries. He suffered with his knees and ankles throughout much of his career and it was an injury to his left knee which eventually spelled the end of his playing days.
"It used to balloon to twice its normal size," says Tony. "I had a operation in 1987 which seemed to cure it and, like a pillock, I thought I'd be all right to play again. I went to Goole Town as player-manager but I quickly realised the knee was no good."
It was then that the Football in the Community job came up. The scheme started at clubs on the other side of the Pennines and before long a position became available at Sheffield United. Tony heard about it, applied for the job and the rest is history.
"The job is exactly what it suggests. We organise a range of activities for the whole of the community, from youngsters in schools to senior citizens. It could entail anything from organising sports coaching sessions for school Kids to bingo for pensioners.
"I particularly enjoy doing football coaching with the under-12s, but it's not just football. My team at Bramall Lane offer coaching in athletics, netball, badminton - the whole lot."
The job also involves hosting visits to Bramall Lane, birthday parties for Blades supporters and even tea dances for the elderly. At 45 years of age you would have thought the former England midfielder would be completely unknown to many of the children he coaches, but he's found himself having to cope with a new generation of fans.
"The kids go home and tel their parents they've had a visit to their school from Tony Currie and the mums and dads tell them all about me. I drive around in the Football in the Community mini-bus and I get youngsters waving at me in the street. It's just like the old days really."
The pressure of work means TC rarely gets to watch Leeds United matches but he
follows their progress very closely on the television.
"I would like to see Deano do well. He's not really shown the same form as he did with Sheffield United. He's a nice lad and I hope it comes good for him with Leeds."
Of the current crop of Leeds United stars Tony is a big fan of skipper Gary McAllister.
"He's a superb player, isn't he. At a million pounds he's been a great buy by Howard Wilkinson," says Tony in his familiar cockney tones. "He can spray the ball about with both his feet. I'd say he's the best midfielder of his type since Glenn Hoodle."
For those who witnessed some of Tony Currie's command performances at the heart of the Leeds United midfield, it's sad to hear that those troublesome knees prevent him from even turning out for charity matches these days.
"Of course i miss playing - who wouldn't after the career I enjoyed in the game? The knee just won't stand up to it any more. Injuries are a lot to do with luck. Some players can go through a tough professional career and have no problems when they retire.
"I suppose I've just not been so lucky, but I can't grumble. I'm having a great time with what I'm doing now. In the last four years in particular I've been hitting the targets I've wanted to hit and I am my own boss. It's brilliant."