FRIDAY'S FORMER STAGS: Roddy Collins

He is pictured being welcomed to the club by assistant boss Billy Dearden in 1981.

Manager Ian Greaves signed the Dublin-born striker with high hopes he had landed a rough diamond he could hone.

But things don’t always work out as you hope and Collins netted just once over his two seasons with the Stags, making nine starts and five substitute appearances.

He had already found the net with Bohemians, Athlone Town, Drogheda United and Dundalk Town in Ireland before his £17,000 arrival at Field Mill.

He went on to become the archetypal journeyman with spells at a wealth of club including Newport County, Cheltenham Town, Shamrock Rovers, Sligo Rovers, Crusaders, a return to Bohemians and Bangor.

Collins then moved into management and has been in charge of a host of Irish clubs as well as one season at Carlisle United and a spell with Maltese club Floriana, winning titles along the way.

Collins was sacked at Carlisle sacked for `upsetting’ owner Michael Knighton. Collins had become frustrated at delays in the takeover of the club in 2002 by fellow Irishman John Courtenay.

After 13 months of negotiations, Collins told a local radio station on the Saturday: “If the club isn’t John’s by Wednesday we’ll both walk away. There’s a Second Division club we’ll talk to about the possibility of buying that.”

A club statement said: “Following several outbursts, which have upset Michael Knighton, we feel it’s in the best interests of the club that Roddy Collins be relieved of his duties.”

He has also worked as a television pundit and contributes to the Sinn Féin newspaper An Phoblacht.

Roddy is the brother of acclaimed former boxer, Steve Collins.