Stags game was great to play in against former boss, says Notts' Collin

Adam Collin is enjoying life at Meadow Lane under new boss Kevin Nolan and his acrobatic save denied Mansfield Town maximum points there last month in Nolan's first game in charge.
Adam Collin who runs the AC1 Adam Collin Goalkeeper School.Adam Collin who runs the AC1 Adam Collin Goalkeeper School.
Adam Collin who runs the AC1 Adam Collin Goalkeeper School.

The 32-year-old Penrith-born keeper joined the Magpies in the summer, having been a key player at Rotherham United under current Stags boss Steve Evans.

“The move to Notts county came about as soon as John Sheridan and Mark Crossley were appointed as the new management team,” he said.

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“I was out of contract after a successful three years at Rotherham United and they got in touch asking if I would like to come in as No.1 goalkeeper.

“It’s been a very tough season so far. We started well and then all of a sudden the wheels fell off and we lost 10 games in a row.

“We were conceding too many goals and not scoring enough and now, with a change of manager, we look to be steadying the ship and getting back to looking a solid team.

“The new manager has come in and looked to make us harder to beat and more solid. We have good players we just needed a settled shape to the team and to be more organised.”

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On the 0-0 home draw with the Stags, Collin added: “The derby was a great game to play in.

“The atmosphere was fantastic and to get a clean sheet and to make a good save off the deflected shot was the highlight for me, plus to have quite a few of my young goalies from the academy there watching was a big bonus.”

ADAM COLLIN FACTFILE

Born in Penrith, Cumbria, Collin started his career as a youngster at Newcastle United as a youngster but, despite being on the bench, never played for the first team.

Collin went out loan to Doncaster Rovers and Oldham Athletic before being released in the summer of 2004.

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He moved to Workington where clean sheets in his first four matches established him as first choice goalkeeper.

Collin saved three penalties in a shoot-out against Farsley Celtic on 17th May 2005 as Workington won promotion to the Conference North.

However, keen to play League football, he began to train with Carlisle United twice a week in December 2008 and won a permanent contract in February 2009.

He went on to save the penalty that took the Cumbrians to Wembley for the final of the 2010 Football League Trophy and went on a run of 146 consecutive starts that ended in September 2012.

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In May 2013 he joined League One Rotherham United in preference to pursuing interest from Scottish Premier League and English Championship clubs and, under Steve Evans, gained promotion to the Championship after a fine display in the Play-Off Final at Wembley, saving two penalties in the shoot-out against Leyton Orient.

Throughout the start of the 2014/15 season, Collin was a pivotal member of the Rotherham side that maintained unlikely survival in the Championship and was even named in an article in The Guardian as one of the Football League Championship’s six most influential players.

Last season he was allowed to join Aberdeen on loan and moved to Notts in June last summer.