History of John Collins (footballer, born 1968) in Timeline

John Collins (born 1968) is a Scottish former professional football player and current manager. As a midfielder, he played for clubs including Hibernian, Celtic, Monaco (where he won the French title), Everton, and Fulham. Collins also earned 58 caps for the Scotland national team, playing in the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96. Following his playing career, he moved into management, holding positions at Hibernian, Celtic (as caretaker), Charleroi, Livingston, and as assistant manager at various clubs including Scotland and Monaco.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

January 1968: John Collins was born

John Angus Paul Collins was born in January 1968. He is a Scottish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder.

1980: Played for Hutchison Vale

In 1980, John Collins played for Hutchison Vale at youth level.

1984: Captained Hutchison Vale

In 1984, John Collins had captained the Hutchison Vale for four years.

1985: Debut with Hibernian

In 1985 at the age of 17, John Collins debuted with Hibernian, making 195 appearances and scoring 21 goals over six seasons.

1988: PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year

In 1988, during his time at Easter Road, John Collins was named the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year.

1990: Signed for Celtic

In 1990, John Collins signed for Celtic, becoming their first million pound player.

April 1994: Scored first goal with Adidas Predator boots

In April 1994, John Collins became the first professional footballer using Adidas Predator boots to score a goal in a top-level match against Rangers.

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1995: Won the Scottish Cup

In 1995, John Collins won the Scottish Cup with Celtic.

1996: Played for Scotland at Euro 1996

In 1996, John Collins played for his country Scotland at Euro 1996.

1996: Moved to AS Monaco

In the summer of 1996, John Collins moved to AS Monaco on a free transfer under the Bosman ruling. Celtic's compensation claim was unsuccessful.

1997: Won French Championship with Monaco

In 1997, John Collins won the French championship with Monaco.

1998: Played for Scotland at the 1998 World Cup

In 1998, John Collins played for his country Scotland at the 1998 World Cup.

1998: Played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup

In 1998, John Collins represented Scotland and scored in the opening match of the 1998 FIFA World Cup against Brazil.

1998: Moved to Everton

In the summer of 1998, John Collins moved to Everton for £2 million.

November 1999: Retired from international football

In November 1999, John Collins retired from international football after the defeat by England in the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying play-offs.

2000: Played in UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying play-offs

In 2000, John Collins played for Scotland in the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying play-offs.

2000: Submitted transfer request at Everton

In 2000, John Collins submitted a transfer request while captaining Everton.

2001: Gained promotion to the Premier League with Fulham

In 2001, John Collins helped Fulham gain promotion to the Premier League.

2002: Declined loan offer from Coventry City

In 2002, Coventry City offered to sign Collins on loan, but Fulham refused because it did not cover his wages fully.

2003: Obtained coaching qualifications

After retiring from club football in 2003, John Collins obtained coaching qualifications, including the UEFA Pro Licence.

2003: Retired from football

In 2003, John Collins retired from club football.

October 2006: Appointed manager of Hibernian

On 31 October 2006, John Collins was appointed as manager of Hibernian.

October 2007: Turned down Queens Park Rangers manager position

In October 2007, John Collins turned down a possibility of becoming Queens Park Rangers manager.

December 2007: Resigned from Hibernian

On 20 December 2007, John Collins resigned from Hibernian with immediate effect, citing a disagreement with the Hibs board about the budget to bring in new players.

2007: Scottish League Cup Final win and player dispute

In 2007, John Collins led Hibernian to their first national trophy in over 15 years by winning the Scottish League Cup Final. He also had a dispute with his players that year about his training methods and match tactics.