James Collins, born on August 23, 1983 in Newport, is a Welsh football player, who plays as a defender.
He started his international football career by representing the Wales national football team at the Under-19 level in 2001. He has won three international caps for the team before James Collins graduated to the Under-20 level in 2002, for which he made two appearances. In 2002, he graduated to the Wales U-21 team and represented the club in eight games. In the year 2004, James Collins was called to represent the Wales national team and as of 2008 has earned 24 caps. He was called from the senior squad to lead the Under-21 team in a United European Football Association (UEFA) Championship qualifier match against Germany at Wrexham on February 8, 2005. He scored his first international goal on October 13, 2007 in a game with Cyprus in the Euro 2008 qualifiers.
James Collins used to play local football in Newport before he joined Cardiff City as a trainee in August 2000. His debut for the club took place in November 2000 in a Football Association (FA) Cup match against Bristol Rovers, in which his team won the match 5-1. James Collins was part of the team that won the Football Association of Wales (FAW) Premier Cup during the 2001-02 season and the Football League One play-off in the following season. He played 86 matches for Cardiff, taking part in all competitions, and has six goals to his credit. In July 2005, James Collins was signed by the West Ham United football club for a deal worth £3.5 million along with Danny Gabbidon, his Cardiff teammate and center-back partner. He played his first game for the club in September 2005 at the Carling Cup in a match against Sheffield, which resulted in a draw. In October 2005, James Collins made his Premiership debut for West Ham against Bolton Wanderers. Towards the end of the 2006-07 season, he forged a solid center-back partnership with Anton Ferdinand and gradually became the fans’ favorite. For his impressive performances, James Collins was awarded the ‘Welsh Young Player of the Year’ title for the year 2005. As of 2008, he has represented West Ham United in thirty three games including two goal scoring occasions.
