Collins is back on a mission to help hoist the Blades

Until now, the Sheffield United defender has been more familiar with chases for glory, winning three promotions and losing in a play-off semi-final.

But Collins is now locked in a battle to avoid the drop with the Blades, who sit four points adrift of safety in the Championship table.

Things have changed quickly for the former Wolves and Sunderland centre-back who signed a three-year deal with Yorkshire rivals Leeds United only last summer.

A regular in the Leeds side until a few weeks ago, he was offered an opportunity to move soon after the arrival of defender Andrew O’Brien at Elland Road.

Collins is no stranger to Bramall Lane but blink and you could easily have missed his first spell with the club.

Five years ago, he made two appearances on loan for the Blades – including his debut in a Steel City derby at Hillsborough – but it was always a short-term fix.

As soon as Neil Warnock’s injured players were available again, Collins was on his way back to Sunderland. Now 27 and both older and wiser, Collins is regarded as a long-term investment by new Blades manager Micky Adams.

“I am not really sure what went wrong at Leeds but excitement has replaced the feeling of disappointment now,” he said. “I could quite easily have stayed at Leeds and maybe sat around not playing in the side but I like this sort of challenge.

“Although we are in a precarious situation, there is still a long part of the season to go. It’s just a case of giving the manager a bit of time to set his stall out, get his own players in, and sort the squad out how he likes.

“I don’t think anyone can say the club is in a false position in the league – that’s the reason you have league tables and you stand wherever you stand because of your results.

“I have never been involved in a relegation battle before but I know what it takes to win games – and that never changes whether you are top or bottom of the league.”

The Blades have gone nine games without a victory ahead of today’s encounter with play-off chasing Millwall at Bramall Lane but the new players brought in by Adams may still be bedding in. Once they regain fitness and form, the Blades should be firing on all cylinders again.

Chief executive Trevor Birch has publicly backed Adams this week after reports in the tabloid press suggested the Blades manager was only two games away from the sack.

Collins is also confident that Adams will lead the club forward after inheriting a mess created by others who have gone before.

“You can tell that the manager is passionate about this club, he’s been successful throughout his career, and has a lot of positive things to say. For whatever reason, we have not managed to pick up results yet but so many changes of manager this season cannot have helped. We have a really good squad and good players and when Sheffield United start moving up the table, I don’t think anyone will be too surprised.”

Collins is the fifth player to have joined the Blades since Adams’s appointment six weeks ago and both Michael Doyle and Shane Lowry, who were signed from Coventry City and Aston Villa respectively, played alongside Collins in the Leeds team that won promotion from League One last season.

“I have kept in touch with Michael since he left Leeds and, to be honest, he is another reason why I joined this club. He is a determined character and a winner and the fact that Sheffield United attracted him from Coventry is a step in the right direction.

“I played with Shane for three or four games last season. It’s a tough situation because he’s on loan and has maybe only played 20 games so far in his career but he’s doing very well, too.

“We had a really good time at Leeds last season and I am proud that I played a part in getting them promoted and into the play-off positions this season.

“Hopefully, now I have come to Sheffield United, I can make an equally big impression by getting them up the table.

“Both are huge Yorkshire clubs with passionate fans. Things are probably settled at Leeds because Simon Grayson has been in charge for two years and they have had a lot of big Cup ties which have enabled them to make a bit of revenue, achieve promotion and attract big crowds.

“They have been in a position to spend a bit of money and put together a settled squad. We have a lot of loan players compared to Leeds, who only have one, I think, and that makes a big difference But I am delighted to be at a huge club and I can see a lot of good things happening here under the new manager.”

The skinny 21-year-old who was thrown into the heat of a Steel City derby by the Blades five years ago is now a senior player with a major role to play in a fight for survival.

Reflecting on his fortunes, Collins said: “I maybe wasn’t quite ready at that stage to be playing week-in, week-out in the Championship as a No 1 centre-back. I had only been playing full-time football for a year after playing part-time in Scotland (with Dumbarton). Now I am ready to play week-in, week-out.

“Going to Hillsborough for my debut and winning was great and I had actually been in hospital on the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before the game with a bad infection. I was meant to be having two weeks off but, because it was the derby and such a big game, I played.

“The following week we played against Queens Park Rangers at Bramall Lane and got beaten. That was it. But I totally understood why the manager wanted to go back to the players who had got them into that position.

“It was only a short-term move and I am a totally different player now. This time I want to establish myself more and show the fans what I am all about.

“There is no question that Sheffield United are a proven Championship club that fights for promotion nearly every year – but you can never take that for granted.

“When you are down at the bottom of the league, people sometimes say ‘the breaks are not going for us’ but it is about winning games – not talking about how unlucky you are and the boys know that. We need as many leaders as possible. It is going to take a lot of hard work but we have got to try and get this club back to where it needs to be.”

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