Born leader Collins is very much a captain in waiting
NOT many 21year-olds use the expression ‘old school’ as Nathan Collins did yesterday but, then again, Collins has always been that bit ahead of his time.
A first teamer at Stoke City aged 17, he was captain at 18, an Irish international at 20 and became the most expensive Irish footballer this summer at 21.
The lad from Leixlip has crammed much into his tender years. And he’s only just beginning.
Riding shotgun to Ireland manager Stephen Kenny at the Aviva for the first time, Collins had to wait a while before a question was fired his way.
He dealt with it like a veteran.
It was to be expected as Collins has had no shortage of football mentors. Dad Dave and uncle Eamon played professionally, while grandad Mick Collins captained Transport to win the FAI Cup in 1950.
In a way, it was a shame that Kenny was the focus of the 22minute pre-match conference as Collins is clearly a bright lad on top of being a highly talented one.
It’s early days but, from what we’ve seen over his seven Ireland appearances, Collins oozes class. I compared him to Franz Beckenbauer in these pages yesterday, which may be a slight exaggeration, but no more than that.
At 21, Collins is comparable in style to ‘Der Kaiser’ in terms of awareness, anticipation, ability on the ball, and a willingness to turn defence into attack.
So few defenders were as comfortable as Beckenbauer when they left their natural habitat.
Collins has that in his locker too. The way he lit up Lodz in June with one one of the alltime individual goals for Ireland was proof of that.
Of course, he’s not where he wants to be and there are creases to iron out, as was evident in his last game for Wolves against Manchester City, but Collins is on the upgrade.
In time, he could emerge into a player of the calibre of Mark Lawrenson or Paul McGrath, for he has all the attributes of those two legends in green.
He is comfortable in defence, but could easily hold his own in midfield, if required. Listening to him, you hear a leader too. It would not surprise anyone if the armband was his before long.
‘Taking responsibility is something that I’ve always had in myself to take on, so I don’t have a problem doing that. I don’t have a problem in leading
a side. I want to be challenged and add more to my game,’ he said.
Collins won’t be available for the old gold until October 18 due to suspension, after his misdemeanour against Jack Grealish of City, which ended amicably.
‘After the game, I was outside the dressing room and saw him (Grealish). I said “Listen, in the tackle I didn’t mean to go for you, I went for the ball and meant nothing by it.”
‘He said “Yes, it’s not a problem, I didn’t think you did.”
‘It was sound and we just chatted out, on good terms.’
With a wee sabbatical to come following that red card, Collins has every incentive to put in a shift for Ireland against Armenia tonight.
As Ireland should enjoy most of the ball, Irish fans should expect Collins to add to the attacking options from open play and set-pieces.
Collins noted the way Jack Hendry surged forward in Hampden on Saturday night to create an overload in the Irish box that led to the equaliser.
‘He’s done well, hasn’t he?’ he said when it was brought up.
‘He drove through the middle with the ball, kept his run going on and got a header. It’s a simple goal to score but a simple one to defend.
‘As a team, we know that we could have done better, both when we let him drive out with the ball and then in the box.
‘We could have done better to stop the cross.
‘You could go through loads of things to stop that goal right from the start. From his half, it’s a good goal. You’ve got to give credit sometimes.
‘Looking at ourselves, we should have stopped it.’
It was a succinct analysis. For all that Hendry deserved credit, when a team concedes there is always an inquest, especially at the back.
ALREADY, Collins has been identified by Kenny as the main man in the back three, alongside John Egan. Collins is certainly better on the ball than Shane Duffy. Is he better in the air?
That’s debatable. But Kenny’s creed is for everyone to be comfortable in possession and Duffy, for all his courage, can’t dribble past opponents like Collins, or cushion a dropping ball, as if on a string.
The days of the Big Fellah – ironically the nickname of another Collins – starting games of import for Ireland may be numbered.
As for the ‘old school’ reference, it popped up when Collins was asked about Joe Hodge, the Irish U21 midfielder at Wolves.
‘I talk a lot to Joe at Wolves. He’s with the first team, a really good guy.’
‘He’s a nice technical player and he has that old-school principle of not minding getting stuck in.
‘I’ve a lot of belief that when he gets that opportunity he’ll show it to everyone.’
Just like Collins has.