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Nathan Collins

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nathan Collins
Collins with Brentford in 2025
Personal information
Full name Nathan Michael Collins[1]
Date of birth (2001-04-30) 30 April 2001 (age 25)[2]
Place of birth Leixlip, Ireland
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)[2]
Position Centre-back[3]
Team information
Current team
 Brentford
Number 22
Youth career
2006–2016 Cherry Orchard
2016–2019 Stoke City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2021 Stoke City 39 (2)
2021–2022 Burnley 19 (2)
2022–2023 Wolverhampton Wanderers 26 (0)
2023– Brentford 105 (4)
International career‡
2016–2018 Republic of Ireland U17 19 (0)
2018 Republic of Ireland U19 3 (0)
2019–2020 Republic of Ireland U21 4 (0)
2021– Republic of Ireland 40 (3)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22:16, 24 May 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 03:12, 6 June 2026 (UTC)

Nathan Michael Collins (born 30 April 2001) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains both Premier League club Brentford and the Republic of Ireland national team.

Collins began his senior club career at age 17 in 2019 with Stoke City, after coming up through their academy. After playing parts of three years with Stoke in the Championship, he transferred to Burnley in the Premier League. After a season with Burnley in which they were relegated, Collins was signed by Wolverhampton Wanderers for £20.5 million, making him the most expensive Irish player. Following one season with Wolves, Collins signed with Brentford for £23 million, becoming the club's record transfer.

Collins made his senior international debut for Ireland in 2021, and won fourty caps since then and has captained the squad since 2025.

Early life

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Collins was born in Confey, Leixlip, County Kildare and attended secondary school at Confey College.[4]

Club career

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Stoke City

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Collins began his career with youth club Cherry Orchard, where his father David and uncle Eamonn both started their careers.[5][6] He joined English club Stoke City in January 2016 after being scouted by Tony Bowen, assistant manager Mark Bowen's brother.[7][8] Collins made his first team debut on 9 April 2019 away at Swansea City.[9][10] His first start came ten days later when he played the full 90 minutes of Stoke's 1–0 loss away to Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.[11] Collins signed a five-year contract with Stoke City in July 2019.[12]

Collins started the first few matches of the 2019–20 season and was given the captain's armband by Nathan Jones against Leeds United, becoming Stoke's youngest captain in the process.[13] He was sent off for the first time in his career in an EFL Cup defeat at Crawley Town for a mistimed challenge on Panutche Camará.[14] Collins remained on the fringes of the first team for the rest of the season under the management of Michael O'Neill, making a total of 17 appearances in the 2019–20 season.[15] Collins played 27 times in the 2020–21 season before he suffered a season ending foot injury playing against Norwich City on 13 February 2021.[16]

Burnley

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On 24 June 2021, Collins joined the Premier League club Burnley for a £12 million fee, signing a four-year contract with the club.[17][18] He scored his first two goals for the club in a pair of home game ties during April 2022, against Everton[19] and Southampton.[20] Collins became a key member of Burnley's club in the second half of the 2021–22 season as the team fought against relegation. Burnley were relegated after a 2–1 defeat against Newcastle United on the final day of the season, a game in which Collins gave away a penalty for handball.[21]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

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Collins in pre-match training for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2023.

On 12 July 2022, Collins signed with the Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers on a five-year contract for a fee of £20.5 million, an all-time record transfer fee for an Irish player.[22][23] Collins made his competitive debut in a 2–1 defeat away to Leeds United on the opening weekend of the 2022–23 Premier League season, playing the full 90 minutes in central defensive pairing with Max Kilman.[24]

Collins received a straight red card for a high challenge on Jack Grealish during the first half of the Wolves' home Premier League game against Manchester City on 17 September 2022, resulting in a three-match suspension.[25] The game ended in a 3–0 loss.

Brentford

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On 4 July 2023, Collins signed for Brentford for a club-record £23 million transfer fee, he also broke his own record for most expensive Irish player.[26] Later that year, on 4 November, he scored his first goal in a 3–2 win over West Ham United.[27]

Collins opened his 2024–25 Premier League goals account with the headed opener in his team's 5–3 home victory over Wolves on 5 October 2024, his second league goal for the club.[28] He went on to become the only outfield player in the league to play every minute of the 2024–25 season.[29][30] Following the departure of club captain Christian Nørgaard at the conclusion of the season, Collins was named the new captain on 2 August 2025.[31]

International career

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Collins made his Republic of Ireland U17 debut against Kazakhstan on 17 October 2016 and was later made captain of the team.[32] He made his senior debut on 12 October 2021, coming on as a late substitute in a 4–0 friendly victory against Qatar.[citation needed] On 14 June 2022, Collins scored his first goal for Ireland in a 1–1 draw against Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League.[33]

Personal life

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Collins' family includes a number of other footballers, including his grandfather, Michael Collins who captained Transport to the FAI Cup in 1950,[34] his father Dave Collins who played with Liverpool and Oxford United among others. His uncle, Eamonn Collins, played with many sides including Southampton and Portsmouth before going on to manage St Patrick's Athletic and later becoming a football agent.[6] His older brother Josh Collins previously played for UCD and Waterford in the League of Ireland Premier Division.[35] Nathan's uncle Mick Collins played for St Patrick's Athletic and Dundalk before later becoming a scout at Manchester City for 20 years, his son Mikey Collins (Nathan's cousin) is also an ex-footballer who played for Liverpool in his youth career before playing in Sweden, Italy, Cyprus and Holland, as well as representing Ireland up to U21 level.[36] His younger cousin, Brody Collins, is a talented midfielder playing for the academy side of German club Schalke 04 and currently plays with the Ireland national under-17 football team who have qualified for the upon coming u17 World Cup in Qatar this year.[37]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 24 May 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup EFL Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Stoke City U23 2018–19[38] ———2[a]020
Stoke City 2018–19[38] Championship 300000—30
2019–20[39] Championship 1401020—170
2020–21[40] Championship 2221040—272
Total 3922060—472
Burnley 2021–22[41] Premier League 1920030—222
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2022–23[42] Premier League 2602030—310
Brentford 2023–24[43] Premier League 3212110—352
2024–25[44] Premier League 3821030—422
2025–26[45] Premier League 3512041–412
Total 10545181—1186
Career total 1898912012022010
  1. ↑ Appearances in EFL Trophy

International

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As of match played on 5 June 2026[46]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Republic of Ireland 202110
202291
202381
202480
2025100
202641
Total403
As of match played on 28 May 2026
Scores and results list Ireland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Collins goal[46]
List of international goals scored by Nathan Collins
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
114 June 2022Stadion Miejski ŁKS, Łódź, Poland6 Ukraine1–01–12022–23 UEFA Nations League
216 June 2023Agia Sophia Stadium, Athens, Greece13 Greece1–11–2UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying
328 May 2026Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland39 Qatar1–01–0Friendly

References

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  1. ↑ "2017/18 Premier League clubs publish retained lists". Premier League. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Nathan Collins: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  3. ↑ "Nathan Collins: Profile". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Confey College - Congratulations to former Confey College..." www.facebook.com.
  5. ↑ "Collins reflects on path from Cherry Orchard to Wolves". 26 September 2022.
  6. 1 2 "Collins continues family tradition on big stage". Irish Independent. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  7. ↑ "The story of Nathan Collins and how he became Stoke City's youngest ever captain". The Sentinel. Stoke-on-Trent. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  8. ↑ "Two Irish youngsters selected in list of young Premier League talents to watch". The42.ie. 3 October 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  9. ↑ "Swansea 3–1 Stoke". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  10. ↑ "Who is Nathan Collins? Introducing Stoke City's new teenage first teamer". The Sentinel. Stoke-on-Trent. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  11. ↑ "Middlesbrough 1–0 Stoke". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  12. ↑ "Major coup for Stoke City as Nathan Collins pens new long-term contract amid significant interest from big clubs". The Sentinel. Stoke-on-Trent. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  13. ↑ "Stoke City starlet insists results won't damage his growth". The Sentinel. Stoke-on-Trent. 25 August 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  14. ↑ "The Stoke City games Nathan Collins will miss after red card at Crawley Town". The Sentinel. Stoke-on-Trent. 24 September 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  15. ↑ "Stoke City teenager tipped for big future amid Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United links". The Sentinel. Stoke-on-Trent. 8 June 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  16. ↑ "Eye-opening injury update from key Stoke City duo Nathan Collins and Tyrese Campbell". The Sentinel. Stoke-on-Trent. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  17. ↑ "Collins Joins Clarets". Burnley F.C. 24 June 2021.
  18. ↑ "Nathan completes Burnley switch". Stoke City F.C. 24 June 2021.
  19. ↑ Magowan, Alistair (6 April 2022). "Burnley beat fellow strugglers Everton 3–2 with Maxwel Cornet winner". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  20. ↑ Bysouth, Alex (21 April 2022). "Burnley 2–0 Southampton: Clarets keep Premier League survival hopes alive". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  21. ↑ "Burnley 1–2 Newcastle United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  22. ↑ Stone, Simon. "Nathan Collins: Wolves sign defender from Burnley for £20.5m". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  23. ↑ "Nathan Collins to become the most expensive Irish player ever when he completes €24million move to Wolves". Irish Independent. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  24. ↑ Dawkes, Phil (6 August 2022). "Leeds 2–1 Wolves: Jesse Marsch's side show fight and clearer plan to beat Wolves". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  25. ↑ Stone, Simon (17 September 2022). "Wolves 0–3 Manchester City: Erling Haaland scores again in dominant win". BBC Sport.
  26. ↑ "Brentford transfer news: Nathan Collins completes £23m club-record transfer to Bees from Wolves". Sky Sports. 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
  27. ↑ Jackson, Bobbie (4 November 2023). "Brentford 3-2 West Ham United: Nathan Collins scores first goal for Bees in comeback win". BBC Sport.
  28. ↑ Howarth, Matthew (5 October 2024). "Brentford 5-3 Wolves: Desperate defensive display costs visitors dearly". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  29. ↑ "Nathan Collins: Born Leader". Brentford F.C. 17 March 2025.
  30. ↑ "Players to play every Premier League minute". OneFootball. 26 May 2025.
  31. ↑ "Nathan Collins named new Brentford captain | Brentford FC". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
  32. ↑ "'It's heartbreaking' – Ireland U17 captain on penalty shootout defeat". Sports Joe. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
  33. ↑ "Collins wonder-goal lights up Ireland's thrilling draw with Ukraine". The 42. 14 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  34. ↑ "The making of Nathan Collins: Early years, the family pedigree, and his journey to the Premier League". independent.
  35. ↑ ""I'm Very Lucky" – UCD's Josh Collins On How How Almost Quit Football As A Teenager". Off the Ball. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  36. ↑ Sneyd, David (25 June 2022). "Mikey Collins continued a family dynasty when he signed for Liverpool. What happened next?". The42.
  37. ↑ Staff, Echo (13 November 2024). "Brody and Desmond go on trial with Hoffenheim". Echo.ie. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  38. 1 2 "Games played by Nathan Collins in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  39. ↑ "Games played by Nathan Collins in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  40. ↑ "Games played by Nathan Collins in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
  41. ↑ "Games played by Nathan Collins in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  42. ↑ "Games played by Nathan Collins in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  43. ↑ "Games played by Nathan Collins in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  44. ↑ "Games played by Nathan Collins in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
  45. ↑ "Games played by Nathan Collins in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  46. 1 2 "Nathan Collins". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
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