{{short description|English footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2016}} {{Use British English|date=April 2016}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Aidan Collins | image = | fullname = Aidan Arthur Collins | height = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1986|10|18}} | birth_place = Chelmsford, England | currentclub = | clubnumber = | position = Defender | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 2003–2006 | years2 = 2006 | years3 = 2006 | years4 = 2007 | years5 = 2007–2008 | years6 = 2008–2009 | clubs1 = Ipswich Town | clubs2 = → Wycombe Wanderers (loan) | clubs3 = → Stockport County (loan) | clubs4 = Cambridge United | clubs5 = Chelmsford City | clubs6 = Maldon & Tiptree | caps1 = 4 | caps2 = 5 | caps3 = 3 | caps4 = 11 | caps5 = | caps6 = | goals1 = 0 | goals2 = 1 | goals3 = 0 | goals4 = 0 | goals5 = | goals6 = | totalcaps = 23 | totalgoals = 1 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | club-update = | ntupdate = }} '''Aidan Arthur Collins''' (born 18 October 1986) is an English retired footballer who played as a defender. He made over 25 appearances in the Football League and the Conference National League.
==Club career== Collins began his career at Ipswich and made his debut against Derby County 4–1 in May 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=34935&season_id=132|title=Games played by Aidan Collins in 2002/2003|work=Soccerbase|publisher=Racing Post|access-date=2008-06-17}}</ref> He collected a winners medal when Ipswich won the FA Youth Cup in April 2005 and made four league and cup appearances for the first-team in the 2005–06 season<ref name="sbase0506">{{cite web| url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=34935&season_id=135| title=Games played by Aidan Collins in 2005/2006| work=Soccerbase |publisher=Racing Post|access-date=2008-06-17}}</ref> before joining Wycombe Wanderers on loan in January 2006.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/w/wycombe_wanderers/4605296.stm |title=Collins set for spell at Wycombe |date=2006-01-12|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=2008-06-17}}</ref> He made five appearances for Wycombe, scoring once, and then joined Stockport County on loan in March 2006,<ref name="Stockport">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/s/stockport/4806406.stm|title=Stockport poised to land Collins |date=2006-03-14|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=2008-06-17}}</ref> where he started two games before being recalled by Ipswich a month later.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/s/stockport/4927752.stm|title=Collins ends Stockport loan spell |date=2006-04-20|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=2008-06-17}}</ref> He has one England U18 cap.
Collins was not offered a new contract at Ipswich at the end of the 2005–06 season and joined Cambridge United in January 2007 for one month on a non-contract basis.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cambridge_utd/6317531.stm |title=Cambridge sign defender Collins|date=2007-01-31|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=2008-06-17}}</ref> He started three games for Cambridge and agreed a contract until the end of the 2006–07 season<ref name="Cambridge">{{cite news| url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cambridge_utd/6386263.stm |title=Collins extends stay at Cambridge |date=2007-02-22|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=2008-06-17}}</ref> with manager Jimmy Quinn saying, ''"He's a fantastic addition to the team..."''<ref name="Cambridge" /> In March 2007, he appeared with his brother, Jordan Collins in Cambridge's club-record 7–0 win over Weymouth, the first pair of siblings to appear for the club since November 1995.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_conf/6491193.stm|title=Cambridge 7-0 Weymouth|date=2007-03-31|publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=2008-06-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cambridge-united.premiumtv.co.uk/page/AndrewsMatchView/0,,10423~1005838,00.html |title=U's 7 (seven) - 0 Weymouth: In heaven, everything in fine |last=Bennett |first=Andrew |date=2007-04-03 |publisher=Cambridge United FC |accessdate=2008-06-17}}</ref> At the end of the season, he retired from the game due to injury<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=41981|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609231635/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=41981|url-status=usurped|archive-date=9 June 2012|title=Castle goes|date=2007-05-03|publisher=Non League Daily|accessdate=2008-06-17}}</ref> but later joined Chelmsford City F.C. in August 2007.<ref name="City">{{cite news|url=http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=44012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130130044342/http://www.nonleaguedaily.com/news/index.php?newsmode=FULL&nid=44012|url-status=usurped|archive-date=30 January 2013|title=Players commit to strong-looking City|date=2007-08-02|publisher=Non League Daily|accessdate=2008-06-17}}</ref> Assistant-manager Glenn Pennyfather said of him, ''"Aidan is a fantastic signing. He is young, strong, good in the air in both boxes and reads the game well with excellent distribution."''<ref name="City" />
==Personal life== Collins has an undergraduate degree from Goldsmiths, University of London, and a Masters and PhD from the University of York in history. His book, 'Financial Failure in Early Modern England' has been published by Boydell and Brewer Press. <ref>{{cite web |url=https://boydellandbrewer.com/9781837651900/financial-failure-in-early-modern-england/ |title = Financial Failure in Early Modern England}}</ref>
==Career statistics== :Source:<ref>{{cite news |title=Aidan Collins profile |url=https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=34935 |publisher=Soccerbase |accessdate=18 June 2020}}</ref>
{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" |+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan=2|Club !rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|FA Cup !colspan=2|League Cup !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan=5|Ipswich Town |2002–03 |First Division |1||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||1||0 |- |2003–04 |First Division |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- |2004–05 |Championship |0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0 |- |2005–06 |Championship |3||0||0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||4||0 |- !colspan=2|Total !4!!0!!0!!0!!1!!0!!0!!0!!5!!0 |- |Wycombe Wanderers (loan) |2005–06 |League Two |5||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||5||1 |- |Stockport County (loan) |2005–06 |League Two |3||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||3||0 |- |Cambridge United |2006–07 |Conference National |11||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||0||0||11||0 |- !colspan=3|Career total !23!!1!!0!!0!!1!!0!!0!!0!!24!!1 |}
==Honours== ;Ipswich Town *FA Youth Cup: 2004–05<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.twtd.co.uk/ipswich-town-news/8089/town-win-youth-cup! | publisher = TWTD | accessdate = 25 March 2020 | date = 23 April 2005 | title = Town Win Youth Cup! }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{Soccerbase}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Collins, Aidan}} Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:Alumni of Goldsmiths, University of London Category:Alumni of the University of York Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Ipswich Town F.C. players Category:Wycombe Wanderers F.C. players Category:Stockport County F.C. players Category:Cambridge United F.C. players Category:Chelmsford City F.C. players Category:Maldon & Tiptree F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:National League (English football) players Category:Footballers from Chelmsford Category:21st-century English sportsmen