The Imps have completed the permanent signing of experienced forward James Collins, as reported yesterday.
Collins has scored more than 200 senior goals since his professional career began in 2009 and has been a part of an EFL promotion-winning team six times.
The 34-year-old former Republic of Ireland international was part of Derby County’s side which earned automatic promotion from Sky Bet League One last season, contributing 19 goals across all competitions for the Rams.
He joins the Imps on a permanent transfer, signing a contract until the summer of 2026. There is also a club option for a further season.
Head coach Michael Skubala said:
“James is a really important signing for the group and it is a massive statement of intent from the club. He is a proven goalscorer, a top professional and will also add leadership to a young squad.
“He is a double-promotion winner from this league, scored 14 goals in helping Derby County win promotion last season and he is here first and foremost because he is hungry to score more goals, win games and contribute to achieving more success.
“Apart from the obvious goal threat that James will bring us on the pitch, he will also bring a lot to us every day at the Elite Performance Centre, particularly with the likes of Freddie Draper, Jovon Makama and Bailey Cadamarteri.”
Director of football Jez George added:
“Two 34-year-old players signed in this window! Everyone may be wondering about our model, but what we see in James is another metric far more important than his age – how many goals that he has scored consistently over more than 600 games. He did that for Derby County last season in helping them to win promotion and has done it all his career.
“James will also be brilliant in helping us to develop our young forwards and will add firepower, know-how and experience to the unit, which is really important. It is not easy to sign proven goal scorers of this calibre.
“This has taken a lot of work to get over the line, but patience and persistence has been the key and we are delighted that James joins us with everything to play for in our next 20 games.”
Collins is a name known to City fans. The 6ft 2in striker scored against us last season for the Rams, and he scored in Luton’s 4-2 New Year’s Day win in 2018. However, he’s much more than someone who has bagged against us.
He started at Aston Villa, where he was a prolific scorer for their academy, but a first-team breakthrough didn’t materialise. Loan spells at Darlington and Burton Albion followed, with Collins impressing for Burton, earning a permanent move after a string of solid performances. However, his big leap came when he signed for Shrewsbury Town in 2011. He quickly established himself as a key player, netting 16 goals in his first full season and helping the club secure promotion to League One.
In 2012, he joined Swindon Town and became a fan favourite after a stunning hat-trick against Premier League side Stoke City in the League Cup and a four-goal haul against Portsmouth. His 18-goal season cemented his reputation as a lethal forward, leading to a move to Scottish club Hibernian in 2013. While his time at Hibs had its ups and downs, including some memorable derby goals against Hearts, Collins later admitted it wasn’t the best fit for him.
Returning to Shrewsbury Town in 2014, Collins rediscovered his form, scoring 17 goals to help them win promotion again. He remained a consistent performer and even took on the captain’s armband at times. After a brief loan to Northampton Town, where he helped them to a League Two title, Collins moved to Crawley Town in 2016. His 22-goal season for Crawley caught the attention of Luton Town, and in 2017, he joined the Hatters.
At Luton, Collins truly thrived. He scored a hat-trick on his debut and became instrumental in their back-to-back promotions, first to League One and then the Championship. His 25-goal season in 2018–19 earned him the League One Player of the Year award, and he continued to deliver in the Championship, including two hat-tricks for the club.
In 2021, Collins signed for Cardiff City, but his two-year stint was less prolific, with three goals in 30 appearances. In 2022, he joined Derby County, where he rediscovered his scoring touch. Highlights included a brace in Paul Warne’s first game as manager and his 200th career goal in a win over Carlisle United. He ended the 2022–23 season with 12 goals before stepping up further in 2023–24, scoring 19 times and helping Derby earn promotion back to the Championship.
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