The return to Celtic of John Collins

Article by e-Celtic Correspondent Tom Shanahan

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Celtic have now completed the search for the assistant manager’s role. Former player John Collins has been named as Ronny Deila’s number two. Collins has been the one candidate consistently spoken about within media circles and now the management duo can look forward to meeting their inherited squad in the next few weeks.

Collins is of course no stranger to Celtic. Billy McNeill brought Collins to his boyhood heroes in 1990, in what was the club’s first £1 million transfer. In five years at Parkhead the man from Galashiels played 217 times for The Hoops and scored 47 goals.

During the first half of the nineties Celtic supporters were starved of quality within the Celtic squad. With Paul McStay on the slide due to injury, John Collins was the one shining light in Celtic sides during this time. As a young Celtic supporter growing up in this era, John Collins was my first Celtic hero. He had a wonderful left foot and seemed to be a level above his opponents. Along with McStay it was a regret for every Celtic supporter at the time not to see Collins playing in a Celtic side that was able to challenge Rangers. Collins left Celtic in 1996 with only a Scottish Cup winner’s medal to his name. Unfortunately, the parting of ways turned a little sour as Collins joined AS Monaco on a free transfer, which infuriated Celtic chairman Fergus McCann. McCann argued that the Bosman ruling should not have applied to this transfer, as the principality of Monaco is based outside of the European Union’s jurisdiction. The transfer was deemed legal however and Collins moved to pastures new.

Collins proved that the move to AS Monaco was the right decision for his career, winning Ligue 1 in 1997 and reaching the Champions League semi-final in 1998. The European run in 1998 also confirmed that Collins had the ability to compete at the highest level of club football.

Collins was also a pivotal part in the most successful Scotland team for a generation, helping his national side reach consecutive tournaments in 1996 and 1998. He won 58 caps and scored 12 goals in an international career which spanned 11 years. His proudest moment for Scotland came when he scored a penalty against Brazil in the opening match of the 1998 World Cup.

After spells at Everton and Fulham, Collins retired from playing in 2003. After a three year hiatus from football, Collins was appointed Hibs manager in October 2006 and led the club to their first silverware in 15 years by beating Kilmarnock 5-1 in the League Cup final. His joy at Hibs was short lived however, as Collins resigned as manager in December 2007 due to disagreements with players about training methods and tactics.

After stints as manager at Belgian club Charleroi and director of football at Livingston, Collins now finds himself back at his one true football love, Celtic.

This seems like another intriguing appointment by the Celtic board however, let’s first address the points most cynics will look to. Collins managerial career overall has not been successful however, as many managers have realised since, the Easter Road job seems like a poisoned chalice. Also, with Collins not currently employed by a football club the appointment of Collins is also a cheap option for Celtic. I for one believe this latter point should not be taken seriously by Celtic supporters. The Celtic board would not jeopardise the appointment of Ronny Deila as manager by signing an assistant the manager was not keen on. Deila feels Collins holds the same values and ideas on football as he does. Collins as a player was technically gifted, who enjoyed playing football the Celtic Way and so the Celtic supporters should expect to be entertained next season. He will also provide an insight to Celtic and Scottish football in general to the new manager, which will be invaluable.

Collins, like Deila has a reputation of hammering home to players the importance of fitness. It is no secret that Collins found it hard to translate this to his players at Hibs however, with more experience maybe now is the time for Collins to prove his true worth as a football coach.

With Deila and Collins’ vision of how football should be played, this could be the dream team that allows the younger generation of Celtic supporters to truly understand the term made famous by Jock Stein, “pure, beautiful, inventive football.”

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