Name: Danny Collins
Position: Centre Back/Left Back
Date of Birth: 6/8/1980
Nationality: Welsh
Place of Birth: Chester
Squad Number: 22
Nickname: None
Former Clubs: Chester, Vauxhall Motors, Sunderland
Joined Stoke: 2009 (£2.75 million rising to £3.5 million)
English-born Wales international Collins is an experienced and versatile left-sided defender who joined Stoke from Sunderland on transfer deadline day in September 2009. Capable of playing either at centre back or left full back, he started his career at his hometown club, Chester City, and enjoyed a very fruitful loan spell at local non-league side Vauxhall Motors before moving to then Championship club Sunderland in 2004. He made fourteen appearances in his debut season with the Wearsiders, and helped them win promotion to the Premier League, his second straight promotion after winning the Conference with Chester the year before. He gradually established himself as a regular at the Stadium of Light, and captained the club late in his career there, as well as winning the player of the year award twice running in 2007/08 and 2009/10.
When new manager Steve Bruce came in, he felt it was time to move on, and the move to Stoke, which he saw as a chance to relaunch his international career, which suffered as a result of a bust-up with Wales manager John Toshack, seemed an attractive one, particularly as several of him former Sunderland teammates were already at the club. He features mostly at left back for Stoke, but faces heavy competition from Danny Higginbotham for the position.
Loading ...