Date and place of birth: Galashiels, 31 January 1968
Throughout his 19-year career, John Collins, a former pupil of Galashiels Academy, played for Hibs, Celtic, AS Monaco, Everton and Fulham.
Prior to turning professional, he played for – and captained – Edinburgh-based Hutchison Vale, a club famed for its talented ‘graduates’ including Danny Galbraith, also from Galashiels.
Collins, who was Celtic’s first million pound player when he signed in 1990, represented Scotland on 58 occasions, scoring 12 goals including a penalty in the 2 v 1 defeat to Brazil in the opening match of the 1998 FIFA World Cup where he was one of the team’s most influential players.
At Everton, he was, at the time, the club’s highest paid player.
Collins is a former manager of Hibs and Charleroi and director of football at Livingston. He was also assistant manager at Celtic.He is currently an ambassador for Gala Fairydean Rovers and has been instrumental in developing the club’s under-20 set-up.
