When it comes to international football I am 100 per cent English, but I do take a keen interest in the home nations sides, even more so when there is a chance that a Luton Town player could be involved.
I’ve regularly watched on as the Republic of Ireland have struggled for goals in recent times, wondering, as you do, what James Collins has to do to get into the team.
Ireland are not a free-scoring side. They have just six goals in five Euro 2020 qualifying matches, three of which came in two meetings with Gibraltar. To put that into perspective, Denmark, Ireland’s closest challengers for qualification, scored six against the minnows on Thursday evening alone.
Mick McCarthy called up four strikers for the double-header with Switzerland and Bulgaria. Collins was joined by David McGoldrick, Callum Robinson (both Sheffield United) and Scott Hogan (Stoke City) who, at the time of their selection, had played 23 times without scoring once for their national side.
Collins was finally handed a debut as a substitute in the friendly with Bulgaria last night, and just 25 minutes into his international career he started and finished a move, for a maiden goal at senior level, in a 3-1 victory. Who’d have thought a man who has averaged a goal every other game for the last two seasons would be the answer to their scoring problems?
Collo deserved his big night in Dublin for the non-stop effort and will to win he has given Luton in the last two years.
Of course, it comes as no surprise to us Luton fans that ‘Collo’ found the net so soon into his Irish career. This is a man who on his debut for us scored three times, and who has barely stopped scoring since, save for a few games at the beginning of last season.
However, as McCarthy found out last night, Collins is more than just his goals. He is a focal point of a side, a work horse and, quite often, our best defender, whether it be his accustomed position at the front post heading away corners, or goal-line clearances at Barnsley.
Furthermore, the 28-year-old has shown this season that he is able to adapt his game and play a different position. Hatters boss Graeme Jones has, on occasion, utilised him in a more withdrawn role behind the pace of Harry Cornick and Kazenga LuaLua, but he has slotted in seamlessly, with his determination, work-rate and desire still shining strong.
Collins is everything that is good about Luton Town right now. It still amazes me that people doubted that he could play at League One level, let alone the Championship, but he has shown he can and I suspect he isn’t finished yet.
In this time of undisclosed fees we may never know how much the Hatters gave Crawley Town for his services, but when he plays his 100th game for the club at QPR on Saturday, hopefully scoring his 50th goal for us in the process, he will have more than repaid every penny and some.
Collo deserved his big night in Dublin for the non-stop effort and will to win he has given Luton in the last two years. It is now down to McCarthy to realise just how good he is, and ensure he gets even more evenings in the international limelight.
