Key season for Collins under the leadership of Roy Keane
In the fourth edition of our ‘My Defining Sunderland games’ series, Danny Collins charts his rise from League Two to captain of the club.
An immensely popular figure throughout his time on Wearside, Collins was twice named player of the year.
He was a consistent and dependable presence in the XI right through to his surprise and controversial exit on deadline day in 2009.
Here, in the second instalment, he talks through the two games that best sum up his time at the club that remains closest to his heart. Luton Town (A) 6 May, 2007: A breathtaking win against Burnley, followed by Derby County’s defeat days later, meant that Sunderland went into the final day of the campaign with automatic promotion secured.
It had been a remarkable turnaround under Roy Keane, and a key season for Collins, who had emerged as a regular under the new manager.
Sunderland were level on points with Birmingham as they travelled to already relegated Luton Town; Steve Bruce’s side boasting a superior goal difference. Birmingham fell to a shock defeat at home to Preston, while Sunderland ran out 5-0 winners in an outstanding display.
There was no trophy for Sundeland at Kenilworth Road, which Keane branded a ‘disgrace ’, but it remains one of Sunderland’ s most memorable recent away days.
We’d been bottom after the first four or five games of the season. Roy came in, started to bring in a lot of his own players and they just picked us up really.
When you bring in eight or nine players it’s not always going to work out. Thankfully for us, everyone seemed to just get straight into their st ride and we just kicked on up the table.
We went on a good run through the middle of the season and going into this one we were right up there at the top of the table with Birmingham. We were already promoted but it was a case of who was going to win the title.
Roy had come in after those first few games and might have looked at a few things. I had a couple of chats with him but said that I wanted to stay and fight for my shirt.
He put me straight back in the team and I played a lot of games under him.
We were happy that we’d won promotion but we wanted to go on and win the title at Luton. I think we were sat on 85 points alongside Birmingham going into the last game.
We went into it wanting to put on a bit of a performance as we had the end sold out behind the goal.
Within 10 minutes we’ re 2-0 up and you just enjoy the day. It was a nice, sunny day and we were playing good football.
Confidence and momentum are two very important words and at that stage, we were going out there thinking that we were going to win games.
It was a bit of a strange one with not having the trophy but I just remember us celebrating down by the goal, Nyron jumping around with some silly hat on. They’re great memories.
S under land:Fulop,W right, Evans, Collins, Leadbitter, Edwards (Wallace 75), Whitehead (Connolly 57), Nosworthy, Murphy (John 57), Stokes, Yorke. Subs Not Used: Varga, Miller. Goals: Stokes 4, Murphy 6, 46, Wallace 77, Connolly 86. Bolton Wanderers( A) August 15,2009
Collins was named club captain at the start of the 2009/10 season and with Steve Bruce making some exciting additions, the future looked bright.
It all came to a sudden halt as Bruce eyed up moves for Michael Turner and John Mensah….
We’d played in the Amsterdam tournament pre-season, Steve Bruce had called me in and made me captain and I was delighted.
From coming into the club and having to fight my way into the side, going on to have a couple of good seasons in the Premier League from coming in and fighting my way into the team, to having a couple good season sin the Premier League, and then to this, it was a real honour.
Going into this season, I felt I’d earned the right to be one of the first names on the teamsheet. To then be named captain then was a real honour.
It was a good performance, Darren Bent scored early on and if it had been 4 or 5 at half time, no one could have argued.
They had a couple of moments in the box in the second half, they had Kevin Davies playing up top and he was always a handful.
Mart onFuloph ad to pull off a great save late on. For all we’d dominated the play and the ball, when it’s only 1-0 the opposition always have a chance and thankfully Marton was on his game.
As a defender, getting back on the bus with a dirty 1-0, it doesn’t really get any better and spirits were high.
It felt like it was going to be a good season, though obviously things changed form ea couple of weeks later and I was out of the club. I was told the managerwas looking to bring his own players in and I could look elsewhere.
I was happy at the club, we’ d taken six points from nine at the start of that season.
Steve wanted to bring his defender sin and it was a bit of a strange feeling because usually when you hear that, you’re out of the squad, sat on the bench and looking to get away yourself anyway.
I was settled, happy, loved my time, then that was that.
We played Stoke ironically on the day I was down there, so I was on the bench, stayed down and signed on deadline day. It came out of the blue.
I played on for ten years, had some great memories at some great clubs, but Sunderland will always be my number one.
It gave me that platform and opportunity to test myself against the best, real household names.
Gerrard, Lampard, Van Nistelrooy….
Sunderland XI: Fulop; Bardlsey, Ferdinand, Collins, McCartney; M al branque( Henderson ,46), Can a,Catt er mole, Richardson (Campbell, 76); Bent, Jones. Subs Not Used: Gordon, Nosworthy, Healy, Leadbitter, Edwards. Goal: Bent, 5.