DANNY COLLINS is relishing the prospect of coming up against the manager who gave him his big break in football . . . and playing in a local derby atmosphere that will rival the one he experienced in the North East as a Sunderland player.
The Staffordshire derby will bring Collins face-to-face with Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Mick McCarthy, who signed the Welsh international defender from Chester City for £150,000 five years ago during his time in charge at the Stadium of Light.
The £2.75 million signing from Sunderland will line-up in a Stoke City side looking to make it three Premier League wins in a row at the Britannia Stadium and there will clearly be no room for sentiment as he aims to achieve that at McCarthy's expense.
Collins enjoyed a five year spell in the North East even though the Black Cats experienced fluctuating fortunes over that period.
"He's a top manager and it was a pleasure to work with him," said the 29-year-old. "He has done a fantastic job at Wolves and he is like Tony Pulis in many ways in that he likes to be out on the training pitch working with the lads all the time.
"I have to concentrate on the game first and foremost, and then I'll see how the game goes before I decide whether to approach him for a chat!"
Collins could have been lining up for Wolves in the local derby because McCarthy was interested in setting up a reunion with the player.
But as the defender revealed: "I didn't really hear too much about it at the time and I was here for a day or two to sort things out with Stoke. It has worked out to be a great move for me and I am looking forward to us continuing our good run.
"Mick has a good young side who are capable of upsetting anyone on their day, so we will have to be on our toes if we are to get the right result."
Collins experienced the incredible atmosphere generated by a Tyne and Wear derby with Sunderland, but he expects it to be just as noisy when City take on Wolves before a sell-out crowd at the Britannia Stadium tomorrow.
"The ground may hold only 28,000, but it seems like 50,000 when you're out there," he said. "I'm sure the added spice of a local derby will make it even noisier."
