Relaxed and ready: Nathan Collins can fulfil his huge potential at Wolves 

Dubliner set for his Premier 

COOL HEAD: Wolves defender Nathan Collins in action in a pre-season friendly against Sporting Lisbon at the Estadio Algarve last week.  Picture: Gualter Fatia/Getty Images

It was a switch of play at St George’s Park that left the gallery open-mouthed.

Nathan Collins, a towering physical presence, retreated to his 18-yard line to receive the ball rolled out by goalkeeper Jimmy Corcoran, advanced a couple yards before telegraphing a 60-yard crossfield diagonal onto the toe of Troy Parrott to bear down on goal.

Martin O’Neill, his assistant Roy Keane, and former Tottenham Hotspur manager David Pleat were among the crowd herded into the small stand adjacent to the pitch England use for their training base.

Noel King and his fellow FAI underage managers Tom Mohan and Andy Reid were also present, looking on in admiration.

Ireland needed victory over Denmark to revive an U17 European finals campaign rocked by an open day defeat to Belgium and Collins led by example in achieving it.

Colin O’Brien’s captain Collins, like the rest of his charges, had got the runaround three days earlier against a Belgian side gilded with talent like €30m rated Lille star and Premier League target Amadou Onana,  and Jérémy Doku.

Also facing him that day was Leander Dendoncker.

Fast forward four years and the capture of Collins for an Irish record of €24.2m deal means the Belgian is likely to be used in other positions by Wolves than the centre-back role.

Bruno Lage applied a selective eye to bolstering a defence armed with the best record outside of the Premier League’s top four last season. Their 43 goals conceded in 38 games was superior to Arsenal, Manchester United, and West Ham United’s columns – explaining his rationale for choosing one addition in that area.

The Portuguese likes his defenders to be comfortable in possession and that afternoon in Burton illustrated the repertoire Collins was developing.

Sprouting to 6’4” by his 16th birthday attracted the usual pigeonholing for a strapping defender – sturdy yet susceptible – but the diversity he displayed for a central-defender of such height banished the stereotype.

It stemmed from his football schooling his father David mapped out from before his teens.

Physical attributes have limited scope without technical skills, a motivation for his Dad to deploy him in midfield for the Cherry Orchard outfit they were both immersed in.

His composure on the ball, darting turn of pace and range of passing had English and Scottish club  academies queuing up. And all of that was apparent before his dribbling prowess was highlighted in his first Ireland goal against Ukraine – an enterprising 50-yard surge past four defenders, crowned by a curled finish with the outside of his boot.

Mick McCarthy was one of the first to spot the raw material, inviting the 15-year-old to partake in an 11 v 11 training workout his Ipswich Town side held in pre-season at Carton House.

Still, Stoke City made the most alluring play, his family steeped in the game perfectly placed to impart their advice on criteria.

Twenty-five years ago, David shot for the stars, joining the domineering force of Liverpool as one of the standout talents in the same age-group as Roy Keane.

There he eventually fell into the purgatory of a managerial changeover between Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness, carving out a lower league career instead with Oxford United.

It was an experience that taught them to always work upwards and so Stoke proved merely a stepping-stone once he became their youngest captain two years ago.

Two transfers worth €40m have followed in the past 12 months. Darren Fletcher recommended his former Stoke teammate to his Manchester United employers as one to watch.

Price tags shouldn't distract the Leixlip lad. Of most priority will be using last season’s 20 Premier League appearances at Burnley and improving on it.

That starts on Saturday against one of his other summer suitors, Leeds United, in the cauldron of Elland Road.

“I don’t think there’s as much pressure on me as people might say,” he shrugged about the spotlight.

“I’m not the biggest on social media and I stay away from it. I have a private life and I try to let my football do the talking.

“My family are on social media and they see it. It’s such a big part of football now and it can play a big part in people’s perspective on players.

“I care if people are supporting me and I will play for them, but if they’re hating me then so be it, I’ll just keep on doing what I do and playing my football and do what I do best."

Authoritative words from a man beyond his years. Don’t bet against him backing it up with actions.