Nathan Collins and Evan Ferguson probably competed for the same balls during Ireland’s in-house match last Saturday in muggy conditions on Turkey’s turquoise coast.
The Wolverhampton Wanderers defender has two inches on the Brighton & Hove Albion striker, so the safe bet goes on the 22-year-old outmuscling the teenager, although that is no easy task.
“Evan is developed enough already,” said Collins on Monday morning in the team hotel near the city of Antalya.
Marked him recently? “Yeah, I have had spells against him and he is strong, big and has a lovely touch. He’s an awkward player to play against. You have to really use your brain against him.”
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Despite a frustrating six months under Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui, Collins is already pivotal to the Irish defence. Just as the attack focuses on supplying Ferguson, who is four caps and one goal into a career of unlimited promise.
On Friday night the pair will fill key roles in the European Championships qualifier against Greece in Athens, having been guided to the Premier League by ex-professional fathers.
David Collins went to Anfield in 1988, eventually finding his feet at Oxford United. He only watches his son Nathan play in person; if he can’t get to the match, he prefers to walk in the forest in St Catherine’s Park near his home in Lucan.
“I find it frustrating,” Collins senior told Off The Ball last year. “You only see little snippets. The commentary. It’s a tough watch [on TV]. Doesn’t do it for me.”
Barry Ferguson’s career was ended by a hip injury at 29. After a tour of English clubs, he returned to Ireland and played 174 games for Longford Town, Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers. An FAI employee, dating back to 2007, Mr Ferguson, like Mr Collins, has done most of the heavy lifting up to now.
“I’d imagine so,” Nathan Collins agreed. “You probably don’t really notice when you are young that you are being introduced to football so early. It is just one of those things, football is your whole life, you don’t know much else other than football.
“I am pretty sure it is the same with Evan. I don’t think it is a wrong thing or a bad thing, it is good for both of us that we have been introduced to the game so early, that we have experienced so much so far.”
The father keeps the son grounded. “Exactly, my dad would kill me if I got carried away. He’d probably pull me away from football, to be fair. Evan looks the same, he is humble, doesn’t try to show off. That’s crucial to keep getting better as a player.”
As Ferguson kept scoring for Brighton this year, the hype torch passed from one to the other. “He can have it, honestly, he can take it,” said Collins, sounding relieved. “I think he is handling it well. There are a few players who had that experience so he knows he can come to us. As I say, he is a humble lad, he won’t get drawn away from that. He is not massive on social media, which I think is a good thing. It is no problem for him, he will be all right.”
An immediate lesson for Ferguson is how Collins dealt with this year at Wolves. After last summer’s £20.5 million move from Burnley, he looked solid in a team rooted to the bottom of the Premier League. Bruno Lage was sacked in October, and Lopetegui arrived from Sevilla and signed 33-year-old Craig Dawson in January, just as Collins hit a purple patch.
“When Lopetegui came in I thought I was playing really well, and at Christmas we got a few good results but he just wanted a change. There was nothing I could do so I wasn’t overly critical of myself.”
Any reason given for being benched? “I talked to him a few times. It was never fully explained. The reason was he wanted a bit more experience in the back four, that was his decision.
“My job was to train harder, work harder and get myself back into the team. Who I am as a person, I will never give up.”
Wolves avoided relegation but Collins was reduced to half-time cameos and two starts when the season was effectively over. “I didn’t want to make [being replaced by Dawson] a competitive thing because of the position we were in. I didn’t want to go down again so I just said I’d bite the bullet and be a team player.”
Many a footballer has moaned about his club manager while on international duty. This is not one of those occasions. “He’s a good man, hard working, honest. He’s Spanish, they are hard to read sometimes, they don’t give off a lot. Look, he kept us up.”
Another revelation from Irish camp is the identity of the pool sharks. “There’s a few. Jeff Hendrick, James McClean, and Gav Bazunu could be up there as well. Mostly Dubs and Jimmy.”
If McClean replaces Callum O’Dowda against Greece, the decks will be cleared for cap 100 against Gibraltar on Monday at the Aviva Stadium.
“I can’t say enough about Jimmy. I was in the under-18s squad at Stoke and the day he signed they brought me over. Straight away, he knew who I was. He talked to me and was so sound. Ever since Stoke I have got on really well with him. He is a top lad. You want him on your side, because if he is on your side he will fight for you forever. That’s an unbelievable trait to have as a person. And honestly, he deserves it, the work ethic he has, the work he puts into this team every day. He deserves the 100 caps.”
