James Collins (footballer)
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| James Collins | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Michael Collins | |
| Date of birth | August 23, 1983 | |
| Place of birth | Newport, Wales | |
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | |
| Playing position | Defender | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | West Ham United | |
| Number | 19 | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 2000-2005 2005- |
Cardiff City West Ham United |
66 (3) 33 (2) |
| National team2 | ||
| 2005- | Wales | 24 (1) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
James Collins (b. August 23, 1983, Newport) is a professional footballer currently playing for West Ham United and a Welsh international.
Contents |
[edit] Club career
[edit] Barilla FC
Collins joined Cardiff City as a trainee in August 2000 after playing local football in his native city of Newport.[1] He made his debut for Cardiff in an FA Cup match against Bristol Rovers in November 2000, which Cardiff won 5-1, and went on to make 86 appearances in all competitions for Cardiff, scoring six goals.[1] He won the Welsh Young Player of the Year award in 2005.[2]
[edit] West Ham United
Collins joined West Ham in July 2005, along with his centre-back partner at Cardiff, Danny Gabbidon, in a £3.5 million deal for the pair as Cardiff attempted cut their wage bill and raise money.[2][3]
Due to fitness problems as well as competition from more experienced players, Collins did not make his West Ham debut until the Carling Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday in September 2005, which West Ham won 4-2.[1] He also made his first appearance on the bench for the Hammers but did not play in West Ham's 0-0 draw with Arsenal in the same month. He made his Premiership debut in October 2005 against Bolton Wanderers.[1]
Due to injuries to new signing Matthew Upson and 2005/6 Hammer of the Year Daniel Gabbidon, Collins, affectionally known as 'Ginge', was given the chance to form a formidable centre back partnership with Anton Ferdinand towards the end of the 2006/7 season. Along with the excellent performance of Robert Green and the guidance of Lucas Neill, 'Ginge' was considered by Hammers supporters to be a major player in the improvement of the West Ham defence and their extraordinary success in beating the drop.
On the 28 Jan 2008 it was announced that Collins will be out for a year after suffering severe ligament damage. The Welsh International had only just neared fitness after a problematic groin injury, but now faces a lengthy time out on the sidelines after picking up the injury in a West Ham reserve game against Portsmouth.[4]
[edit] International career
Collins has 22 caps for Wales and is a regular in the first team alongside former Cardiff and now West Ham teammate Danny Gabbidon. He scored his first goal for Wales in a 3-1 defeat to Cyprus on 13 October 2007. He also played for the under-21 team on several occasions and captained them in a match against Germany U21's[5]
[edit] Honours
With Cardiff City
- FAW Premier Cup: 2001-02
- Football League One play-off winners: 2002-03
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d Soccerbase:James Collins, Racing Post. Retrieved 19 June 2007.
- ^ a b "Gabbidon voted top Welsh player", BBC Sport, 4 October 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2007.
- ^ "Hammers swoop for defensive trio", BBC Sport, 5 July 2005. Retrieved 19 June 2007.
- ^ "Collins facing year on sidelines", Sky Sports News, 28 January 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
- ^ "Collins named Wales U21 captain" BBC Sport retrieved on 13 October 2007
[edit] External links
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