Collins playing for Hartlepool United |
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Samuel Jason Collins | ||
| Date of birth | 5 June 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Pontefract, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Hartlepool United | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1997 | Huddersfield Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1997–1999 | Huddersfield Town | 37 | (0) |
| 1999–2002 | Bury | 82 | (2) |
| 2002–2006 | Port Vale | 135 | (11) |
| 2005–2006 | → Hull City (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | Hull City | 13 | (0) |
| 2007 | → Swindon Town (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2008– | Hartlepool United | 151 | (6) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:56, 10 December 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). |
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Samuel Jason "Sam" Collins (born 5 June 1977) is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Hartlepool United, where he serves as captain. His brother, Simon, is also a former professional footballer and manager.
He started his career with Huddersfield Town in 1997, alongside his brother, before he transferred to Bury in 1999. After three years he moved on to Port Vale, where he established himself as club captain and star defender. His performances earned him a move up to Hull City in 2006, though a series of knee injuries blighted his time at the club. Loaned to Swindon Town for a brief spell in 2007, the following year he signed permanently with Hartlepool United. Spending most of his career in the third tier of English football, he has been described as a "warrior" and as "the quintessential lower-league centre-back".[1]
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Born in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, Collins started his career at First Division Huddersfield Town as a trainee. Earning a senior debut just as brother Simon, was leaving the club, he made 41 appearances in all competitions before leaving the club himself. In 1999 he stepped down a division to join Bury, who paid the "Terriers" a £75,000 fee for his services. He played ninety games in all competitions for the "Shakers", including 82 in the Second Division, before being released at the end of the 2001–02 season, following the club's relegation into the Third Division.[2]
He signed for Brian Horton's Port Vale in June 2002.[3][4] Collins played 49 games for Port Vale and was named their Player Of The Year in the 2002–03 season, later becoming the team captain.[5][6] In September 2003 he was given the Second Division Player of the Month award.[7] At the end of the 2003–04 season he penned a new two year deal,[8] having put in a 47 game haul. He played 37 games in 2004–05, helping the club to avoid relegation to League Two.
His continuing strong performances in 2005–06 attracted interest from Plymouth Argyle boss Tony Pulis.[9] However he rejected the approach,[10] and instead joined Peter Taylor's Hull City in November on loan from Vale, prior to a permanent transfer for a fee of £65,000 in the January transfer window.[11] Team-mate Billy Paynter also made the switch to the "Tigers" at the same time.
He captained Hull on several occasions, but after only seventeen league games for the "Tigers" he joined a lengthy list of team-mates on the treatment table, suffering a knee ligament injury in a February game at Millwall, which ruled him out for the remainder of the 2005–06 season.[12] He also missed most of the following season through a further knee injury, making only eight appearances.[13] In September 2007, he joined Swindon Town on a one month loan,[14] in which he made four appearances for the "Robins".
He joined Hartlepool United on transfer deadline day, 31 January 2008, for a nominal fee.[15] After only several weeks with the club he was sidelined by an injury sustained from an awkward fall.[16] This came just days after assistant boss Ian Butterworth praised Collins for "[adding] steel to the back four".[17]
"He's a calming influence, he's a leader and that's what we needed in that backline. You'll get that consistency from him, he doesn't complicate his game."—Collins soon won praise from Hartlepool manager Danny Wilson.[18]
He was appointed captain at the start of his first full season with the club,[19] and made 48 appearances by the end of the campaign, earning himself a new contract at the end of the campaign.[20] His consistency continued in 2009–10, as he played a total of 48 games. After 49 appearances in the 2010–11 campaign, he signed a new contract with the club in May 2011.[21]
Between 2003 and 2005 he helped coach Brackenhill Blues, an under-13 football club based at Ackworth. In the two years he was there, he helped Brackenhill gain promotion twice.
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