Wales centre-back and West Ham fan favourite with over 50 international caps
FootballFew defenders gave as much of themselves as James Collins, a centre-back who treated every clearance as a matter of personal honour.
Born in Newport in 1983, Collins came through the ranks at Cardiff City before Alan Pardew signed him for West Ham in 2005. He was part of the Hammers side that reached the FA Cup final in his first season and has carried a lifelong affection for the club ever since. A move to Aston Villa followed in 2009, where he spent three seasons, before returning to Upton Park in 2012 for a second stint that cemented his status as a genuine terrace favourite.
For Wales he won 51 caps across an 11-year international career, playing in the team that reached the semi-finals of Euro 2016, the country's greatest modern tournament run. Playing alongside Ashley Williams he formed part of a defence that kept Cristiano Ronaldo and others honest, and brought home a generation's worth of pride in Welsh football.
Collins has retained the easy manner of a dressing-room favourite and the honesty of a player who never hid from a challenge. He is a natural storyteller about the modern Premier League, the rise of Welsh football, and the characters who made West Ham's recent decades so eventful.
At Steam he pairs neatly with fellow Hammers and offers the authentic view from inside the penalty area.
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