Neill Collins

Neill William Collins ( born September 2, 1983 in Troon ) is a Scottish football player. The central defender and former U-21 national team plays since 2011 for Sheffield United.

Sports career

The one in the Scottish west coast city of Troon - located north of Ayr - born Neill Collins began his career at unterklassigen giants FC Queen's Park before it drove him in July 2002 for FC Dumbarton in the third league. With its robust and figure-hugging style of play Collins was at the " Sons " quickly became the darling of the public and as a new role model, he also received the Office of the team captain. In his playing, he reminded her of a defender " old-style " similar players like Tony Adams in the recent past .. A number of prominent clubs reported over time desires to, including the Scottish club Falkirk, Hibernian Edinburgh and Glasgow Rangers, as well as the English second division club Charlton Athletic. However, after each sample workouts, there was not a change in all cases.

In August 2004, Collins left the Dumbarton FC for a fee in the amount of 25,000 pounds in the direction of the English second division club Sunderland AFC. There he completed after his debut against Reading FC on 31 August 2004 ( 0:1) ten more league games and won at the end of the season of 2004/05 second division championship, which was equivalent to the direct promotion to the Premier League. In the " piano nobile in English professional football," he did not come into play; instead borrowed from the "Black Cats" from the Hinserie to the third division Hartlepool United and, in the second half of the season 2005/ 06 to the second division promotion contenders Sheffield United. However, in the latter club, he was only in two games on the field. At the beginning of the 2006/07 season came Collins at AFC Sunderland, who was now relegated back to the second division, on the unfamiliar right -back position to the course, after which there ancestral Stephen Wright and Nyron Nosworthy had injured. In November 2006, he lost his position in the team and moved on loan to Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he worked with Mick McCarthy, who had trained him in Sunderland.

After the end of the rental period, the leaders of the " Wolves " decided on a final commitment of the former Scotland Under-21 international's - the transfer fee was £ 150,000. Collins was stable in the remaining games of the 2007/08 season at his new club to use - he missed with the team's play-off games for promotion to the Premier League just barely. At the beginning of the 2008 /09 Collins was first team regular before him the from Chelsea on loan Michael Mancienne made ​​its place in dispute. Only after Manciennes interim return to London he was back on the side of Richard Stearman in the central defense network. With his red card on 27 January 2009 in the 0-1 defeat against Reading FC he pissed away his status, however, especially at the same time his compatriot Christophe Berra has been committed to the coach McCarthy as well as the resurgent veteran Jody Craddock in the following preferred playing to a direct promotion to the Premier League.

Although Collins ' contract runs until the end of the season 2011/12, expressed Wolves coach McCarthy in July 2009, the desire to leave Collins to another club. With Preston North End finally found an interested party; the second division borrowed from Collins, where " PNE " after the deadline the end of 2009 perceived an option for a permanent commitment. However, as a coach Alan Irvine left a short time later, Collins played under his successor Darren Ferguson is no longer relevant and moved in March 2010 for the rest of the season on loan to Leeds United on. There he represented the injured Patrick Kisnorbo, contributed nine league inserts for promotion to the Football League Championship at second-class and signed in July 2010 in Leeds a new three-year contract.

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