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Fullname: John Angus Paul Collins
aka: John Collins, Johnny Collins, Johnny-C.
Born: 31 January 1968
Birthplace: Galashiels, Scotland
Signed: 13 July 1990 (£1m from Hibernian)
Left: 1 August 1996 (Free to Monaco)
Position: Midfielder (attacking)
First game: Ayr United home 4-0 league cup 22 August 1990
Last game: Partick Thistle away 4-2 league 27 April 1996
First goal: St Johnstone away 2-3 league 22 December 1990
Last goal: Aberdeen away 2-1 league 14 January 1996
Internationals: Scotland
International Caps: 58
International Goals: 12
Celtic Assistant Manager: 17 June 2014 – 20 May 2016
Biog
During the dark days of the early 1990s there were few bright moments, and even fewer bright players. Amongst the exceptions to the rule was John Collins, a Celtic fan as a boy who group up in the Borders before starring for Hibs in the midfield.
The classy player caught the eye of both sides of the Glasgow divide with Rangers trying to snatch him from under Celtic’s nose. Thankfully he chose to come to Celtic for a transfer fee of around £1m to Hibs (Celtic’s first million pound signing). Losing him to the Dark Side is not a thought to even contemplate.
Along with Paul McStay he helped to shore up what were overall poor teams, regardless of whatever our opinions of individual players. If there was one area (and most likely the only one) where we were better than Rangers in the early 1990s was an entertaining dominant midfield, masterfully controlled by McStay with Collins in tow.
Too often overshadowed by Paul McStay (the fans favourite, especially amongst older fans), youngsters in general seemed to prefer Collins. McStay was never aggressive and attacking enough, although this was likely as too often he had to play in an anchor position in the midfield to haul in the team. This gave room to Collins to play the attacking role, and he played it well. His touches were great and his support play was excellent.
His most celebrated moments came in two successive Celtic v Rangers games where in each game he scored a peach of a free-kick against Rangers (both being mirror images of each others). The notable fact (for any anoraks out there) is that the first of them was the first scored using the then new and revolutionary lauded Adidas Predator Boots (which were all the rage in the papers back then). One of the goals came in the infamous Rangers fans-only match at Ibrox where Celtic fans were barred from the respective match after some self-righteous nonsense from the Rangers’ chairman over repeat damage to the away section area by a minority of Celtic fans (as if that never happened the other way around).
Another memorable moment in Collins’ time at Celtic was a hat-trick scored against Hearts. Indeed, the hat-trick was mentioned on the BBC evening news at a time when little attention was paid to Scottish football south of the border.
One personal high point for Collins was the match after being slated by journalist Gerry McNee in one of his Sunday Mail columns for being over-rated. He scored a couple in the game and bagged PoTM on the same day and sarcastically dedicated it to McNee. Note: Gerry McNee was a sycophantic pandering poodle to Rangers through much of that period (as for much later on!), and his incessant attacks on Celtic were always pathetic.
Regardless of his talent, Celtic won next to nothing in silverware during much of his tenure, but that was not his fault in anyway being, as said, one of the better players during that time with sadly only the Scottish Cup in 1995 to show for all his talent whilst at Celtic. It is frightening to think how much worst Celtic would have been if he had not come to the club. He helped keep afloat the side when otherwise the first team would have sunk.
After six years at the club, he ended up moving onto Monaco in controversial circumstances at the end of his contract, moving on a free transfer which saw Fergus McCann (Celtic’s Chief Exec at the time) take Monaco to court. Bizarrely, the courts judged that Monaco in football terms were classed as a French Club even though its not in the EU so Celtic got no money on his transfer.
On the international front, John Collins had a successful career, representing Scotland fifty-eight times and scoring on twelve occasions. A memorable highlight of his Scotland career was playing in France ’98, scoring against eventual runners up Brazil.
Post-Celtic Playing
He had a successful spell at Monaco (where they reached the European Cup semi-finals knocking out Man Utd), followed by another at Everton and Fulham in England before retiring from playing football. Curiously, one of his replacements at Fulham was called ‘Collins John’.
Management Spells
He returned to Edinburgh and replaced former team-mate Tony Mowbray as the manager of Hibs, but it didn’t work out and he soon left that role in acrimonious circumstances. It was said that he had an over-emphasis on physical conditioning and was vain, with a bit of a backlash from various players.
A sympathetic review of his time at Hibs can be found in one of Celtic author Paul Larkin’s books (that chapter written by a Hibs fan).
Celtic Assistant Manager 2014-16
“John Collins knows what football is and what quality is and what’s best for Scottish football. He can talk about that.”
Ronny Deila (2015)
John Collins returned to Celtic when he was appointed the assistant manager to new manager Ronny Deila on 17th June 2014, replacing the departed Johan Mjallby. Despite early difficulties he settled in well with Deila, and his emphasis on conditioning was finally respected and generated results in the first season. Having been lampooned for his supposed obsession with physical conditioning by some of the more navel-gazing in the past, he was able to find a stable-mate in Deila more than willing to apply his methods.
Into the second season, the results under this partnership were to be mixed, but fans with limited information appeared to put Collins in the red. Despite two league titles, the general consensus was that the managerial team was failing. The tactics were poor, the first team were humiliated in Europe in the second season, no Champions League football (exc qualifiers) and the side failed to win the treble despite no Edinburgh sides (first season) or Sevco (both seasons). The squad was midfielder heavy to the detriment of the rest of the side, yet the midfield was a complete mess in the second half of the second season, with Celtic paying the price getting knocked out by then second tier Sevco in the Scottish Cup in 2016. Collins was seen as being naïve or arrogant after some unnecessary comments to the media, and it didn’t help the situation.
Once Deila decided to belatedly stand down, so did Collins. Many had been calling for Collins head long beforehand as almost as a scape goat or a way to shock the coaching team into something new.
Yet, people should not be overly negative at Collins’ role as assistant manager. Taking a step back, the most successful player in this period, van Dijk, was sold for around £10m (and became one of the world’s highest rated players). He praised Collins to the hilt and stated that he owed much to the extra work done with Collins as a major source of his success. He spoke well of Collins and so this is reflective that Collins had what it takes to be a highly regarded coach. Likely many others benefited from his assistance in coaching.
In any case, he had now won the league titles that he had so much deserved as a player. He is worthy of the medals gained from his work for the first team, and should be respected for it. Celtic went on to win nine league titles in a row, and undeniably John Collins deserves respect for his part in this achievement.
We wish him the best.
Post-Celtic Management
In the media he remained very vocal about the need for a change in the mentality and coaching of football in Scotland, often harking back to compare his time at Monaco and contrasting that to his time in Scotland. In fairness, he was most often right but changing the football culture in Scotland was like turning around an oil tanker. He had many valid points, oft-discussed in the media in interviews, but sadly to deaf ears too often in the navel-gazing & crony football world in Scotland.
He may have not got far as a manager or coach, but he at least tried to bring Scottish football into the modern world.
[….]
Quotes
“The ultimate experience.”
John Collins on Celtic v Rangers games, 1997
Interviewer: Which was the best goal you scored?
John Collins: “There’s a few that I like. I scored one for Scotland against San Marino where I picked the ball up in my own half and beat a few players. I scored against Columbia with a right-foot volley, which was unusual for me, so that one was a bit special too. But nothing beats scoring against Rangers at Ibrox. Putting it in the top corner and silencing the whole stadium – that was pretty special.”
The Celtic View June 2015
“John Collins knows what football is and what quality is and what’s best for Scottish football. He can talk about that.”
Ronny Deila (2015)
“John Collins as well, unbelievable. He’d come in at 9am and do 500 dips on the parallel bars, 500 press ups and 500 sit ups. He didn’t have a 6 pack, he had an 18 pack. That was the standards at Celtic but Paul McStay what a player, he could have played in any era, any league. A fantastic player and a cracking guy.”
Andy Payton (2018)
“I trained every single day with John Collins and we would often do extra work together. He has a drive that impressed me, to get the maximum out of every player, every single day. He knows his football and helped improve aspects of my game during the one year I worked with him, no doubts about that. I’m gutted he is leaving Celtic because he is an excellent coach and a fine human being. I’m certain he will go on to new adventures in football, and I wish him well.”
Van Dijk on John Collins
Playing Career
| Club | From | To | Fee | League | Scottish/FA Cup | League cup | Other | ||||
| Fulham | 14/07/2000 | 02/06/2003 | £2,000,000 | 54 (11) | 3 | 5 (1) | 0 | 4 (0) | 1 | 3 (1) | 0 |
| Everton | 01/08/1998 | 14/07/2000 | £2,500,000 | 52 (3) | 3 | 4 (0) | 0 | 3 (2) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Monaco | 01/08/1996 | 01/08/1998 | Free | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 4 (0) | 0 |
| Celtic | 13/07/1990 | 01/08/1996 | £1,000,000 | 218 (3) | 47 | 2 (0) | 0 | 3 (0) | 1 | 3 (0) | 0 |
| Hibernian | 01/08/1984 | 13/07/1990 | Signed | 163 (0) | 15 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Totals | £5,500,000 | 487 (17) | 68 | 11 (1) | 0 | 10 (2) | 3 | 10 (1) | 0 | ||
| goals / game | 0.13 | 0 | 0.25 | 0 | |||||||
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
Honours with Celtic
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The Celtic View Interview (Feb 2012)
Do you remember how your move to Celtic came about?
I was playing at Hibs at the time and I was at the World Cup, for Italia ‘90, when I first heard Celtic were interested. My agent phoned me and said Celtic would like to speak to me when I got home. So when I came back I took the phone call. Billy McNeill came down to my home base in the Borders to meet me and that’s where most of the discussions took place. That’s where it all began and it was a very, very special day as you can imagine. Like every other Celtic supporter growing up my dream was to play for them. All the pictures of me when I was a kid was me wearing my Celtic strip so to then be standing there for the photo-shoot, with the Hoops on, was a very special moment. Not just for me – the whole family too because they are all Celtic supporters so that made it extra special.
What went through your mind when you first found out Celtic were interested in you?
It was exciting of course. I initially thought I was moving to France because I had spoken to Bordeaux but then Celtic came on the phone – and then Rangers too – and it was a very exciting time. It was nice to feel wanted, especially by your boyhood heroes.
With Rangers also sniffing around, was signing for Celtic a difficult decision to make?
No, no, no. There was no doubt about it. My heart was in the green and white half of Glasgow.
Did the transfer help move on from the disappointment of not getting out of the group stages at the World Cup?
Yes, I was refocused as soon as I got home and then I signed the contract. It was exciting getting ready for the new season ahead, it was a new adventure. My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, had just finished university so it was a perfect time to move through to Glasgow. It was an almighty challenge as well because Rangers were the force in Scotland. They were one of, if not the, richest club in Britain. Whereas Celtic were not so affluent, so it was challenging – but exciting at the same time.
You say it was a good time in your personal life to move to Glasgow, but was it a good time in terms of your career?
Yes, I was at a good age, I had just turned 22 and I had picked up loads of experience at Hibs. They were great to me at the time, they had given me first-team football from a very young age, playing week in-week out. I had served my apprenticeship, though, and I was ready to step up to the bigger stage.
How did it feel to know you were the first player to be valued at £1million in Scotland?
At the time you don’t really think about it. It’s something that’s there in the newspapers for the first few days but you’re conscious of getting on with your job as a football player and that is training everyday and preparing for the Saturday. It’s something other people like to talk about and it had nothing to do with me. It was between the clubs because someone else put a value on me, but of course it was nice to be valued so highly at the time. I never felt any extra pressure, though, having that price tag on my shoulders.
Did you keep newspaper cuttings from the day you signed?
Oh yes, I have kept all of them. I haven’t been through them for a little while but it’s happy days to look back on. The kids get a good laugh at them, looking at the funny hairstyles in the photos.
You come from a Celtic family. What was their reaction to you signing?
They were ecstatic. They always tried to keep it to themselves and never really said anything to me but I know my Dad was the proudest man on earth the day I signed for Celtic. I’m led to believe he was boasting in all the pubs!
Did you join the club with any aims or did you just decide to go with the flow?
I think the aim was always to win things as a team and do well as an individual and keep your place in the team. For me as a midfielder, or an attacker, it was to score goals and get into double figures. You want to stay fit and produce the goods so the bottom line is to always give your best.
You had obviously been in the stadium before as a fan, but how did it feeling running out of the tunnel as a player?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when you walk out the tunnel and hear that roar, nothing beats it. My Dad was at every game, he was a mad Celtic supporter and was always in the silk seats – as they used to call them. It was always a special feeling looking up and catching his eye just before kick-off. It’s every boy’s dream to do that and I was one of the fortunate ones who had their dream come true.
How did it feel being the new Bhoy in the dressing room?
It was a very friendly dressing room and I never felt out of place. Peter Grant, Paul McStay, Anton Rogan, Chris Morris, Packie Bonner – they were all very friendly, and of course Tommy Craig who would end up coaching with me at Hibs. It was a very close-knit dressing room. There was a lot of banter, leg pulling and abuse – that’s all part of a dressing room, especially on the west coast, and that’s one thing I miss. It’s very hard to replicate the dressing room banter, it’s very unique. Ask any footballer what they miss after they have finished playing and the chances are he will say the dressing room banter. But on the pitch it was a challenge, as I said before, because Rangers were so rich and powerful at the time, but I knew that when I signed. Unfortunately I never won the trophies I hoped I would win but it wasn’t for the want of trying that’s for sure.
Did you find it easy to settle into Glasgow?
Yes, I think the people in Glasgow are very open, warm and straight to the point. My Father was from Glasgow and I have a lot of cousins, aunties and uncles from there too. I found them very welcoming from the day I signed right up until today. There’s nothing better than walking down the street today and having fans saying “Hi big man”, “Hi wee man” or “How you doing John” – my kids always laugh when I walk through the streets of Glasgow. But I like it, nobody talks behind your back, they just say it straight to your face and that’s nice. It’s very different to Edinburgh where they have a more cautious approach. The west coasters come up and ask you questions and say hello, it’s very warm and brings a family atmosphere to the place. It’s pretty unique.
Was it different living in Glasgow as a player though?
I was very fortunate when I played for Celtic, I had a great rapport with the fans and scored a few goals, but there was always that pressure when you lived in Glasgow and you weren’t winning anything. We were second to Rangers and it wasn’t the best place to be when you’re getting it in the neck all the time. As players we were always under pressure but you had to just get on with it and look after your own performance. You had to make sure you did your best because that’s the most you can do, and I did that in my six years at the club. I gave them every drop of energy I had.
And finally, did the experience of playing for Celtic live up to expectations?
Oh yes, most definitely. The atmosphere, the support, the away support we would take with us – it was challenging, exciting and there was never a dull moment under the microscope every minute of every day.
Recruitment of Collins a tactical ploy for Celtic
http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/sport/football/recruitment-of-collins-a-tactical-ploy-for-celtic.24519925
The Herald
Published on 18 June 2014
Hugh Macdonald
JOHN COLLINS has been named Celtic assistant manager in a move that may lack surprise but contains a definitive statement about how the club intends to run its football business.
The partnership of Ronny Deila, recruited from Stromsgodset, and Collins, the former Hibernian manager, is the most obvious indication that Celtic will pursue a style of play that will course through the club, starting from under-age level.
Deila has made his reputation in constructing teams to play aggressive, attacking football and Collins is simply dogmatic in his view that the ball must be played from the back and that possession should be treasured.
This “Celtic way” was followed by Neil Lennon, who resigned as Celtic manager last month, but the appointment of Deila and Collins points to a strategy that will involve the imposition of a style on the club and a willingness to bring through young players in an era where Celtic must compete in Europe without the financial resources of their continental rivals.
Collins has been working with the Scottish Football Association recently and this experience has confirmed his view that the culture in Scotland must be adapted to a more technical style of play. “I am tired of seeing players lump the ball forward,” he said in an interview with Herald Sport recently.
The former midfielder brings both a domestic and continental experience to the No.2 post. He made 229 appearances for Celtic from 1990 to 1996, also enjoying spells at Monaco, Everton, Fulham and Hibernian. He won 58 caps for Scotland, playing in both the 1998 World Cup and Euro 1996 tournaments.
He won the Scottish League Cup in 2007 while managing Hibernian. He managed Charleroi in Belgium in 2008 and was appointed director of football at Livingston in 2012.
Deila said: “I am delighted to appoint John to the position of assistant manager. I have had a number of meetings with John, I can see what the club means to him and I can see the qualities that he will bring to Celtic.
“He is a first-class coach and has ideas on football which are very similar to mine so I am sure he will be a great addition to my team.
“He will start immediately and together we will now prepare for this first day of training next week. We have important matches in the near future so I am pleased that I have been able to secure him so quickly. Now we can get to work.”
Collins said: “It is a huge honour for me to return to Celtic, the club which has always been such a major part of my life. I am grateful to Ronny for giving me this wonderful opportunity and I look forward to working closely with him and the players to ensure that we can continue to bring the good times to Celtic.
“I know what a great club Celtic is and I know exactly what the club means to our fans. I will support the manager in every way and I am sure that together with our players, the backroom staff and the fans, we can all play our part in bringing success to the club.”
Concerns have been raised about the relationship between Collins and Scott Brown, the Celtic captain. Collins was the victim of a dressing room revolt while both he and Brown were at Hibs but sources at Celtic insisted last night there were no lingering issues between coach and player.
Collins will supply Deila with much-needed local knowledge but he is also an innovative coach, keen to pursue developments in scouting, sports psychology and science.
He and Deila will work with John Park, Celtic’s manager of football development, to recruit players ahead of a Champions League qualifying campaign that begins next month.
His most significant presence, though, will be on the training ground. A lucrative playing career has given Collins the freedom to pick his jobs.
The attraction of the Livingston post was that it afforded him the scope to install a system that would produce not only a successful club but a string of technically accomplished players. Marc McNulty and Stefan Scougall, two of the products of the desire to blood young players, are now at Sheffield United.
Collins, 46, left Livingston on principle after disagreeing with the club hierarchy’s decision to dismiss Gareth Evans, the first-team coach.
He returned to media work while coaching Scotland’s under-19 and under-18 players. In an interview with Herald Sport in April, Collins spoke highly of the mindset and style brought to Celtic by Lennon.
Asked if he harboured hopes of a return to the game, Collins said he would do so if the right opportunity arose. “I am a builder,” he said.
The foundations were being laid last night for the first day of training at Lennoxtown next week.
John Collins: Scottish players not clever or quick enough to punish Celtic
Gary Keown / 00:12 Sunday 9 August 2015 JOHN Collins admits the Celtic squad are putting in special work on the training field ahead of their Champions League play-off later this month to compensate for the fact they face lower-grade players incapable of punishing their errors in Scotland. The assistant manager joined Ronny Deila in emphasising the need to concentrate on shape and defensive drills during SPFL Premiership matches ahead of the two-legged meeting with Malmo. Collins, whose side visit Partick Thistle today, says it is easy for his players to adopt a swashbuckling mentality in domestic matches because their opponents are neither sharp nor smart enough to exploit spaces left at the back. But he says every game must now be treated like a European fixture in an attempt to ingrain patterns of onfield behaviour. “We work on it every day in training and want to implement that in every game,” said Collins, who took in yesterday’s Championship match between Dumbarton and Hibernian. “Sometimes, we switch off and think it doesn’t really matter, because they’re not going to punish us. If you become open and detached from each other against good players and good teams, you’ll be punished. “It’s something that doesn’t happen to us in Scotland. No disrespect to the other Scottish teams, but they’re not clever enough players or quick enough thinkers to punish us. “We want to open up and be expansive when we have the ball but as soon as it breaks down it’s an instant sprint back into our shape so there are no gaps for opponents to play through us. “In Scotland, we can be gung-ho, we can have full-backs overlapping the whole 90 minutes. We’d love to do that in Europe, but the reality is you’d concede a lot of goals.”
Former Celtic star Virgil Van Dijk says he has John Collins to thank for Southampton move
By Mark Guidi
May 15, 2016, 12:01 am
Former Celtic star Virgil Van Dijk says he has John Collins to thank for Southampton move
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VIRGIL VAN DIJK has singled out John Collins as a major influence on his career.
And the cultured Dutch defender is gutted that Collins and Ronny Deila are leaving Celtic today after the final league game against Motherwell at Parkhead.
Van Dijk, who swopped the Hoops for Southampton’s stripes last summer, believes Collins will be a loss to the club as he improved his game by doing extra sessions on the training pitch and video analysis work.
The man who commanded a £12.5-million fee, told the Sunday Post: “I’m still in touch with a few of the players at Celtic. I’m friends with Stefan Johansen and we are going on holiday together.
“I’m pleased for everyone that another league title has been secured, and they deserve credit for the five-in-a-row achievement.
“But I am disappointed that Ronny Deila and John Collins are leaving.
“I trained every single day with John Collins and we would often do extra work together. He has a drive that impressed me, to get the maximum out of every player, every single day.
“He knows his football and helped improve aspects of my game during the one year I worked with him, no doubts about that.
“I’m gutted he is leaving Celtic because he is an excellent coach and a fine human being. I’m certain he will go on to new adventures in football, and I wish him well.
“Ronny will also get back into the game. He has a good reputation. It’s very hard to be the head coach of Celtic because of the high demands every single day.
“He will be disappointed the way things have worked out but he won two titles and the league will always be the most important thing.
“A new manager will be coming in and he will have the same level of expectation on his shoulders – to win the league and qualify for the Champions League group stages.
”Of course, with Rangers being back next season, it raises the stakes and it should make everything even more exciting and add extra interest.
“The battle between both clubs will have everyone talking, and taking a closer look at the game in Scotland. But clubs such as Hearts and Aberdeen will also have a say in how it all develops.
”I wish Celtic the very best of luck. I hope the new coach qualifies for the Champions League and wins six-in-a-row. He will be on the way to being a legend if he manages to achieve both things.”
Van Dijk will turn out for Southampton this afternoon at home to Crystal Palace as they look to clinch a Europa League place.
He has played a vital part in their fine run this season, and has thrived under fellow countryman, Ronald Koeman. He has been rewarded with a lucrative contract to keep him at St Mary’s until 2022, while another ex-Celt, keeper Fraser Forster has just been handed a new five-year deal.
Van Dijk said: “I have enjoyed every day at the club. There is a good atmosphere in the dressing-room, and good levels of communication between the players and the coaching staff. Team spirit is so important and we have it at an amazing level.
“It is our last game and to qualify for Europe would make it all the more special.
“I have enjoyed the experience of playing in a top, top league and against strikers of the calibre of Sergio Aguero and Jamie Vardy. They are all so talented and so tough to play against.
“In every single game in this league, I have to be at my very best for more than 90 minutes. It is dangerous to switch off for even one second and I mean that honestly.
“It means that the concentration levels have to be 100%. But I enjoy the test and the demands of it all.
“To have a coach of Ronald Koeman’s calibre has been amazing. He has helped me and I hope that I keep improving.
“He knows the game inside out and played for his country at the highest level. He was an outstanding footballer and played for the biggest club in the world, Barcelona.
“He believed in my qualities, which is why he signed me from Celtic last season. I took that as a very big compliment.
“Now, we must all look to keep going and keep producing results and performances. The aim is to get better and better every year. I think we can do it.”