John Collins, a native of Scotland, was born on 31 January 1968. Standing at 5ft 6in (1.7m) and weighing in at 9st 10lb (62kg), the Scot enjoyed a prosperous career as a midfielder.
Collins began his professional career with Hibernian in July 1984. Over the course of his time with Hibernian, he steadily racked up first team appearances, starting with 19 in his debut season and reaching a peak of 44 in the 1987-88 season. His goal-scoring was similarly impressive, with his final season at Hibs, 1989-1990, proving his most prolific in which he scored six goals.
In July 1990, Collins joined Celtic for a transfer fee of around £100k. This heralded a successful period in Collins' career, with the creation of some of his best footballing moments in the 1991-92 and 1995-96 seasons, with both seasons featuring Collins scoring eleven goals. Over these two seasons, playing for Celtic etched Collins' name into the fans' consciousness, establishing himself as a firm favourite.
Collins then moved to Ligue 1 side Monaco in July 1996 for a sum of £3m. This phase of his career saw the industrious midfielder making consistent appearances and scoring a handful of goals, the highlight of his stint being the 1996-97 season, where he scored six goals for the French club.
Everton in the English Premier League was the next stop for Collins in July 1998, with a transfer fee of around £2.5m. His two seasons at Everton saw regular play, yet a disappointing return on the goal scoring front.
July 2000 saw Collins join another English side, Fulham. Despite starting off strong with 27 first team appearances and three goals in league matches, his input gradually diminished over the next two seasons, culminating in just five first team appearances in his final season.
His professional journey ended in June 2003, having seen him transfer from Fulham. Thus concludes the career of John Collins, a persistent and commanding midfielder, whose performances on the pitch, especially during his time at Celtic, will remain a fond memory for football fans worldwide.
