Nathan Collins determined to 'bounce back' after Greek setback

The Brentford centre-half says he'll learn from a performance that saw him subbed at half time.

Nathan Collins during a Republic of Ireland press conference at the FAI Headquarters in Abbotstown. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Nathan Collins admits his Greek tragedy won’t be his last forgettable act as a defender.

Stephen Kenny hooked the centre-back at half-time of last October’s Euro qualifier after Gus Poyet’s side raced into a two-goal lead.

Collins was considered one of the successes of Stephen Kenny’s reign but was exposed in that calamitous 45 minutes at Aviva Stadium, especially during the counterattack that led to Georgios Masouras nabbing the second.

The 22-year-old – who again broke the transfer record for an Irish player by moving to Brentford in 2022 for £23m – was dropped for the second part of the double-header three days later against Gibraltar.

Marking some of the best strikers in the world every week in the Premier League places the Celbridge man under scrutiny so he doesn’t wallow in the few blemishes endured over a generally promising start to his career. Collins was restored to the starting team for the final qualifier away to Netherlands, a status expected to remain under John O’Shea for the interim boss’s first game at the helm on Saturday against Belgium (5pm).

“I’d prefer if it never happened again but there’s every chance it could,” said Collins, reflecting on that experience from six months ago.

“If you talk to any player in the world, it’s happened to them.

“Stephen was nothing but great for me. He gave me my debut and everything really, I’d started the previous 16 games in a row.

“He’s given me so much but that’s football. It’s how you bounce back from it and learn.” 

Winning was an elusive commodity under the four-year reign, a deficiency O’Shea has spoken of eradicating in his short stint in charge.

Doing so against the fourth-best team in the world, even without their absent skipper Kevin de Bruyne and vice-captain Romelu Lukaku, and another Euros-bound nation next Tuesday in Switzerland, will be difficult but results are imperative to shift the mindset.

“I wouldn’t say it’s been hard to represent Ireland - it’s what I wanted to do as a kid so I’ll always enjoy that and take that in,” he said about his introduction to the senior team from 2021.

“It’s frustrating losing and not winning games but still an honour to play for Ireland. The be-all and end-all is to play for Ireland but we want to win games.

“As much as it’s an experience for the lads and good for them to be in the group, at the end of the day we need to win games.

“I’d probably prefer to play against him (De Bruyne) but it doesn’t change much for us - our tactics or what we’re going to do. But, yeah, of course, it’s probably nice that he’s not playing.” And beyond these pair of games lurks a new boss to be in-situ for the June friendlies and the serious business of a Uefa Nations League campaign that kicks off against the Auld Enemy England at Lansdowne Road on September 7.

“I haven’t really thought about it - I’ve had a few of my own problems back at my club,” placing the FAI’s long, exhaustive search for Kenny’s successor into perspective.

“Listen, football is an awkward game. It’s hard. You have to trust them (the FAI). If I didn’t then I wouldn’t be here.

“It’s up to them and I trust who they put in front of us. They’ll do what’s right for us.” 

As much as Ireland are well-stocked with Premier League defenders, they’re virtually all operating in the bottom quarter of the table.

Collins, in 15th, is best positioned to avoid relegation compared to Séamus Coleman and Andrew Omobamidele, whose Everton and Notts Forest sides have felt the pinch from points deductions.

“There’s a bit of banter flying about,” Collins said about their plight, which encompasses Dara O’Shea’s Burnley.

“I was giving Andrew some stick about his points deduction but he’s taking it well and is giving me stick.

“That’s natural and normal. Sure Seamie and myself have been in the relegation fight for three years in a row, which we joke about.

“Football is so hard and it can change in a few games. We’re here together as a team, we’re Ireland but when we go back to our clubs we can be enemies again.”