Nathan Collins

UEFA Nations League Group B1, Republican Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia 4/6/2022 Armenia vs Republic of Ireland Ireland's Nathan Collins reaches for a header ...

He is brave and strong, but a big man on and off the pitch. So it’s time to be brave. I am just astonished that not everyone is talking about it. Let’s be brave. And let’s be brave by handing Ireland’s Van Dijk, the incredible Collins, the honour. He is one of my favourite players. He not only has the ability to bury opponents, but he has a classy swagger when he is in possession of the ball that honours any team’s philosophy to play the beautiful game in a beautiful way. John Egan is another guy who just oozes respect. No-one can deny, not just by his performance but by his demeanour, not just by the way he talks but the way he walks, that Collins has the potential to be the real deal. I really hope he can have an Indian summer at international level. But I think at a time when Kenny needs to show courage and strength of character, and to make big decisions to bring about big change, the most obvious candidate to be captain of Ireland is Nathan Collins. He is also a very obvious candidate to be a successor to Coleman. But he wouldn’t be my choice either.