A glimpse of Magic
I recall it was a freezing cold winters night in Dublin, Ireland. Still playing myself for a football club by the name of St Francis FC I was suspended for a Cup tie versus Garda AFC. A new signing featured in our side that night, his name is Mikey Collins and he came with somewhat of a reputation locally. I remember offering to record the game for our manager , and so I found myself positioned in the gantry within the main stand with a perfect view overlooking the entire pitch. By halftime I was told to stop filming. Our side wanted to respect the opposition who had been completely torn apart on the night. At halftime it was St Francis 6-0 Garda AFC and Mikey Collins had run riot . Wearing number 9 on the night I recall watching his movement and positional sense thinking to myself ‘this lad is an intelligent footballer with excellent technique’. You could see Collins at times was on another level to the intermediate players around him, but how did a player with so much promise and ability end up at intermediate level? Why didn’t it work out for Collins at the numerous professional clubs he had represented in the years previous?
Talent is not enough!
They say talent is never enough in football, and perhaps Mikey Collins is an example of that. On route to the top of the game you also need luck, dedication, opportunity and focus among many other things. Football is a cut throat industry at the end of the day. Mikey Collins is a man who can testify to the aforementioned statement. The former Liverpool FC Irishman has experienced many highs and lows in his football career to date. In his own words here is a glimpse into a football journey that has taken him to England, Italy and Cyprus to name but a few destinations.
The Road to Liverpool
Mikey's story began at Dublin schoolboy club Cherry Orchard. A keen footballer who was always supported and encouraged by his father. Technically gifted with footballing intelligence that defied his young age, it would come as no surprise that Collins attracted interest from a host of English clubs from a very early age. A nimble midfielder who was also effective up front would go on to be capped 24 times for the Rep of Ireland from U15's right the way through to U21's. Middlesbrough, Glasgow Celtic, Manchester city, Chelsea and Ipswich Town were all keen to sign the young talent, but it was Liverpool who eventually won the race for his signature, and so it was Liverpool where the journey beyond Ireland began.
1. Mikey, tell us about the move to Liverpool, how did it all come about?
“ I was playing for my schoolboy club Cherry Orchard at the time. I was grateful to have a number of offers on the table before deciding upon the move to Liverpool. Middlesbrough, Glasgow Celtic, Manchester city, Chelsea and Ipswich Town had all expressed an interest to sign me. I actually came very close to signing for Ipswich before the Liverpool interest arose. I went over for my first trial at Liverpool when I was fourteen years old. The trial went really well and over the course of the next year I traveled to England numerous times to play in some games and take part in training sessions. Steve Heighway was the academy director for Liverpool back then. I remember the day he flew over and called to my house to meet my dad. I was offered a one year youth contract and a two year pro contract beginning when I turned sixteen. I didn't hesitate to sign, I was delighted with it, Steve Heighway is a great man, he was always very good to me”
Steve Heighway - A man fondly remembered by Mikey Collins from his time at Liverpool
2. What was it like representing Liverpool Academy?
“Liverpool was brilliant! From day one the people, the city, the club, facilities, absolutely everything about the place, I loved it. Playing for the academy was amazing. I played in the U18's league against clubs like Manchester United and Manchester City. My first year was very memorable, I played a part in the FA Youth Cup success that season, we went on to beat Manchester United in the final. It's always nice to get one over on them, to do it as a fan who plays for your club, that made it that extra bit special”
3. Despite good early progress it ultimately didn’t work out for you at Liverpool. Why do you think it didn’t work out for you at the club you’ve supported since you were a boy?
“Looking back on it, when Steve Heighway left at the end of my first season at the club, that was the beginning of the end. Steve was replaced by a Dutch coach by the name of Peit Hamburg. From day one I just got a vibe, it's just one of those things, football is a game of opinions. I could sense Peit didn't take a shine to me as a footballer. I remember being called to his office following his second training session with the group, he told me I wasn't quick enough to play for the club. If I'm honest I didn't help my cause, I just found his training methods strange and I let him know that on a couple of occasions, it was a poor immature reaction but back then I was just a kid, it done me no favours at all to say the things I said”
Not a fan! - Collins found Peit Hambergs methods strange
4. When you say strange, what do you mean by that?
“I remember joining the academy and everything being based around the Liverpool philosophy of pass and move possession football. Most training sessions were based around that under Steve Heighway, the final third of the pitch was when you were encouraged to take people on. Under Peit Hamburg all that changed. I remember one training session we played an 11 aside game among ourselves and Hamberg insisted upon a rule that you had to beat a player before you could make a pass, it was a first for me, his football methods were so strange in my opinion. In spite of my thoughts on his strange ways I kept training and got on with it. Some time passed before a Swedish club by the name of Enköping approached Liverpool about taking me on loan. I went over and trained with them, but it never felt right so I ended up turning that opportunity away, Maybe if I went there it would have allowed me time to reset my mentality but at the time it just didn’t feel right”
5. So the decision was a permanent move away from Liverpool then? How did it come about?
“When I decided to leave Liverpool it was my dad who flew over to meet with the club officials and an agreement was made whereby I would be paid out for the remainder of my professional contract. People tell me I should have stuck it out, but in reality I could not see myself having a future at the club with Peit Hamberg in charge. Game time was very important at that stage of my development and I wasn't going to get enough of that under Hamberg. As it transpires Peit was sacked by the club only nine months later, the news was not surprising when I received it. Do I have any regrets from my time at the club? yes, looking back I defiantly do have some regrets. To be honest I never gave myself a chance because I did let myself down at times off the pitch, I don’t want to go into detail, but I wasn’t as dedicated as I should have been. It's not easy for a kid who didn't have much growing up to all of a sudden be making a bundle of money at a very young age, I guess I didn't cope with that aswell as I should have, I didn't deal with it and it effected me off the pitch. Is that a regret, yes absolutely it is”
6. Mikey you were a part of a very successful Rep of Ireland U17's group (the class of 2007). When you look at the likes of James McCarthy from that same group and how he went on to become a senior international, establishing himself as a high profile Premier League footballer, do you ever wonder what if?
“Yes our U17's at the time were very good. It's funny you mention James, I still remember the first game I played alongside him was vs Greece in the U17's European Championships, we won the game 2-0 and he got one of the goals that day. Back then everyone used to talk about him, being honest at the time I would have never foreseen the success he would go on to achieve, it's fair to say he proved me wrong! He is a top class footballer, his work rate is so impressive, he dominates most Premier League games I watch him play in when he is injury free. You have to take your hat off to him, I wish him continued success in his career.
Do I ever wonder what if? yes everyday, I get up to go to work and sit on that Luas and it often crosses my mind, what if! I'm glad I had a crack at it and not many can say that. I'm proud of the clubs I have had the opportunity to play for, and I’m honored to have represented my Country at Youth level. Nobody can take that away from me no matter what anybody says or thinks”
7. Tell us a bit about your uncle David Collins. He was also on the books of Liverpool, how good was he and how much of a help was he when you were starting out?
“Yes Davey signed a long time ago, Graeme Souness let him go and he ended up signing for Oxford United in the old first division, my dad tells me he was a brilliant centre half who played alongside Roy Keane in the Rep of Ireland U21 set up. The biggest influence on my career though is my dad, growing up he never missed one game and always supported me throughout. If it wasn't for my dad I wouldn't have got the opportunity to go away, he was the one that introduced me to the game when I was a kid. I have so much respect for him. My uncle Davey was brilliant for advice and to be honest my whole family have always supported me. My dad and a couple of my uncles actually work within the game to this day so they've been great to me”
Football runs in the Collins family
8. You’re one from a rare list of Irish exports to play professional football in Italy. Following on in the footsteps of Robbie Keane, Liam Brady and Ronnie O'Brien to name a few, what was the Italian experience like and how did that come about?
“My uncle Eamonn is a football agent, he has connection's here in Ireland and abroad. He rang Nutsy (Pat Fenlon, manager of Bohemians at the time) to see would he allow me train with Bohs. In the meantime I got a call from an agent in England who had got word I was no longer at Liverpool, he asked if I'd be interested in coming onboard with him, he told me that he would be able to secure a trial at an Italian club. That's how the initial trial to Triestina eventually materialized, the two week trial went really well for me and I was offered a deal at the end of it. I felt that Italian football would suit my game. I'm a flair player, in England, Scotland and Ireland there is a greater emphasis on the physical aspects of the game, I didn't think that style of football suited me.
Italy was a very good experience. It was strange at times, before games players would smoke, I initially thought it was a wind up, after games I couldn't get my head around that, oh and the wine with their dinner in the evening I also thought was unique. Overall it was an amazing experience and something I'll never forget. Pre season over there was the toughest I've ever done, they bring you to a little village up in the mountains and literally make you run uphills, that training persists for 2/3 weeks straight, come the start of the season I was wrecked. I'll always be grateful to Triestina, I think I improved a lot out there, especially being in among first team players at the football club”
9. After a year in Italy you found yourself on the move again. You sign for APE Pitsilia in the Cypriot Second Division. How did that move come about?
“I left Triestina on bad terms, I was having problems with my wages being paid. My agent at the time had links in Asia, Greece, Australia and Cyprus. My agent got in touch Steve Constantine (now Indian national team manager), Steve was managing APE Pitsilia at the time and he decided he would offer me a trial. I went over for two weeks and played in four friendly matches. I done really well in the games and by the final day of my two week trial I was called into Steve's office. It was good news, he offered me a two year deal beginning at the start of the new season, a few months later I was flying back over to Cyprus to begin pre season. It was a more stable move for me and it took me away from the stress I was under towards the end of my time in Italy with the wage issues.
Under Mellos, a Cypriot coach at the club I played 29 games out of a possible 34 which was brilliant, he took a bit of a shine to me so that always helps. Cyprus is brilliant for football, they are fanatical over there, it's all they talk about day in day out. The fans are amazing, the Cypriot people in general are just great and then of course the weather is always a nice bonus. I have great memories from my time there and still have great friends I've kept in touch with, it's a shame I was very unlucky having to undergo a kidney operation whilst I was there, that really set me back. It was towards the end of my second year in Cyprus I had to have the kidney operation. It put me out for nine months and I had already been six months waiting to have the operation. I returned to Ireland and didn't play for a long time as I recovered. I became disillusioned with the game even when I did recover. I joined local teams and played with friends, it was only really when I decided to sign for St Francis Football club, a team with a great history and superb facilities that I start getting the hunger back, there was great management in place and I started enjoying my football again. Once you fall out of the professional game it is very hard to get back in, especially the older you get”
Between Moods
In the years since Mikey Collins never did make a return to professional football. He has drifted in and out of amateur football at Junior and Intermediate level. Always there is glimpses of the undoubted magical talent Collins possesses, just like on that cold night up in Francis. Like many stories before him however, what the Mikey Collins story shows is that talent alone is never enough.