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Neill Collins
Neill William Collins (born 2 September 1983) is a Scottish football manager and former player who is the head coach of USL Championship club Sacramento Republic.
Collins is a former Scotland U21 and Scotland B international who played as a centre-back. He started his playing career with Queen's Park before moving to Dumbarton. A transfer to English side Sunderland followed in 2004, but he failed to establish himself in the first team during his three-year spell on Wearside. After loan moves to Hartlepool United and Sheffield United, he was loaned to Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he became a first-team regular and signed a permanent deal in 2007. Following Wolves' promotion to the Premier League, he fell out of favour and moved on loan again, this time to Preston North End. Still, although they signed him permanently in 2010, he was never a regular. He quickly moved to Leeds United, with whom he won promotion to the Championship in 2010. After losing his place the following season, Collins returned to Sheffield United, one of his former loan clubs, where he made over 100 appearances. He lost his first-team place in the 2014–15 season and joined Port Vale on loan in March 2015. He moved to America in March 2016 to play for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. By the end of his 18-year playing career, he had scored 35 goals in 583 league and cup appearances.
He took his first post in management in May 2018 when he transitioned from player to head coach at the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The 2021 season would prove highly successful as he won two USL Championship Coach of the Month awards, as well as the Coach of the Year award, as his side won the Eastern Conference and went on to finish as runners-up in the playoffs. He returned to England as the head coach of Barnsley in July 2023 and was sacked with one game left to play of the 2023–24 season with his team in the League One play-off places. He was appointed as the head coach of Raith Rovers in September 2024.
Collins was born in Troon, Scotland. He was associated with Kilmarnock's youth academy, the team he supported as a boy before being released at the age of 14. He began his career with Scottish amateur club, Queen's Park, making his first-team debut in a 2–0 win at Stirling Albion on 24 March 2001. He went on to make four appearances in the 2000–01 season as John McCormack's Spiders were relegated from the Second Division to the Third Division. He played 31 games as Queen's Park finished bottom of the Scottish Football League in 2001–02. During this time he worked at a Safeway supermarket.
Collins earned a move to newly-promoted Second Division club Dumbarton in July 2002. During his stay at the Strathclyde Homes Stadium, Collins became popular with the fans and had a spell as captain and was key to Paul Martin's Sons battle to stay in the Second Division in 2002–03. He then featured 34 times as Dumbarton finished two points outside the promotion places in 2003–04 under Brian Fairley's stewardship. During his time there he had trials with Falkirk, Hibernian, Rangers and Charlton Athletic. During his time in Scotland he also completed a BA 'Sport in the Community' degree at the University of Strathclyde.
Collins was signed by Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy in August 2004 for a fee of £25,000. Three months later he signed a new contract to keep him at the Stadium of Light until 2007. He made 11 appearances during the 2004–05 season as the club won promotion to the Premier League as champions of the Championship.
He never appeared in the top-flight for the Black Cats after Alan Stubbs was signed and was instead loaned out to League One side Hartlepool United in August 2005. He made 25 appearances for Martin Scott's Pools during his stay at Victoria Park. He was loaned out to Neil Warnock's Championship promotion hopefuls Sheffield United in February 2006. The Blades succeeded in winning promotion in 2005–06, though Collins featured in just two games at Bramall Lane.
With Sunderland back in the Championship in 2006–07, Collins was forced to play in the unfamiliar role of right-back after injuries to teammates Stephen Wright and Nyron Nosworthy. He was a regular under Mick McCarthy, but when McCarthy left the job, Collins was dropped by replacement manager Roy Keane despite Collins feeling he'd performed well.
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Neill Collins
Neill William Collins (born 2 September 1983) is a Scottish football manager and former player who is the head coach of USL Championship club Sacramento Republic.
Collins is a former Scotland U21 and Scotland B international who played as a centre-back. He started his playing career with Queen's Park before moving to Dumbarton. A transfer to English side Sunderland followed in 2004, but he failed to establish himself in the first team during his three-year spell on Wearside. After loan moves to Hartlepool United and Sheffield United, he was loaned to Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he became a first-team regular and signed a permanent deal in 2007. Following Wolves' promotion to the Premier League, he fell out of favour and moved on loan again, this time to Preston North End. Still, although they signed him permanently in 2010, he was never a regular. He quickly moved to Leeds United, with whom he won promotion to the Championship in 2010. After losing his place the following season, Collins returned to Sheffield United, one of his former loan clubs, where he made over 100 appearances. He lost his first-team place in the 2014–15 season and joined Port Vale on loan in March 2015. He moved to America in March 2016 to play for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. By the end of his 18-year playing career, he had scored 35 goals in 583 league and cup appearances.
He took his first post in management in May 2018 when he transitioned from player to head coach at the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The 2021 season would prove highly successful as he won two USL Championship Coach of the Month awards, as well as the Coach of the Year award, as his side won the Eastern Conference and went on to finish as runners-up in the playoffs. He returned to England as the head coach of Barnsley in July 2023 and was sacked with one game left to play of the 2023–24 season with his team in the League One play-off places. He was appointed as the head coach of Raith Rovers in September 2024.
Collins was born in Troon, Scotland. He was associated with Kilmarnock's youth academy, the team he supported as a boy before being released at the age of 14. He began his career with Scottish amateur club, Queen's Park, making his first-team debut in a 2–0 win at Stirling Albion on 24 March 2001. He went on to make four appearances in the 2000–01 season as John McCormack's Spiders were relegated from the Second Division to the Third Division. He played 31 games as Queen's Park finished bottom of the Scottish Football League in 2001–02. During this time he worked at a Safeway supermarket.
Collins earned a move to newly-promoted Second Division club Dumbarton in July 2002. During his stay at the Strathclyde Homes Stadium, Collins became popular with the fans and had a spell as captain and was key to Paul Martin's Sons battle to stay in the Second Division in 2002–03. He then featured 34 times as Dumbarton finished two points outside the promotion places in 2003–04 under Brian Fairley's stewardship. During his time there he had trials with Falkirk, Hibernian, Rangers and Charlton Athletic. During his time in Scotland he also completed a BA 'Sport in the Community' degree at the University of Strathclyde.
Collins was signed by Sunderland manager Mick McCarthy in August 2004 for a fee of £25,000. Three months later he signed a new contract to keep him at the Stadium of Light until 2007. He made 11 appearances during the 2004–05 season as the club won promotion to the Premier League as champions of the Championship.
He never appeared in the top-flight for the Black Cats after Alan Stubbs was signed and was instead loaned out to League One side Hartlepool United in August 2005. He made 25 appearances for Martin Scott's Pools during his stay at Victoria Park. He was loaned out to Neil Warnock's Championship promotion hopefuls Sheffield United in February 2006. The Blades succeeded in winning promotion in 2005–06, though Collins featured in just two games at Bramall Lane.
With Sunderland back in the Championship in 2006–07, Collins was forced to play in the unfamiliar role of right-back after injuries to teammates Stephen Wright and Nyron Nosworthy. He was a regular under Mick McCarthy, but when McCarthy left the job, Collins was dropped by replacement manager Roy Keane despite Collins feeling he'd performed well.