Roddy revels in return

Football management is far from the easiest job in the world, with finances, fans and fortunes each likely to turn sour at the drop of a hat, right in front of your very eyes - no one knows that more than new Monaghan United boss Roddy Collins.

Returning the the game thirteen months after his controversial days as Cork City boss, Collins now hopes that Monaghan offer him the stability he craves, following years of anguish and upheaval both here and abroad.

Prior to Cork, Collins managed Floriana in a Maltese adventure which left an after-taste that was anything but sweet. Previous to that he managed Shamrock Rovers and Dublin City during dismal eras for both clubs, the job prior to those was in Carlisle, where a much-watched documentary showed exactly the pressures Collins had to work under.

“It’s the first time I have ever walked into a situation that wasn’t a disaster from the start,” said Collins, when speaking exclusively to ExtraTime.ie.

“My first job up in Bangor came when they were rock bottom of the league. The manager had just walked out, I was a player and I took that job. I had to work really hard to put everything together up there. When I walked into Bohemians all those years ago it was a disaster. Carlisle was an absolute grueller; a disaster. It was like World War III – the supporters, the owner, no money…”

“Then I came home and I went to Dublin City which was an absolute no- no, another situation that was never going anywhere. Then in Shamrock Rovers, we all know what was happening there. Then I went to Floriana in Malta, promised the sun the moon and the stars, moved my family over and then they reneged on that. And then I went to Cork, moved down there, moved the family from Floriana to Cork and that went wrong,” he said.

“I’ve moved from disaster to disaster. This is the first bit of stability I’ve had since my time at Bohs. So I’m looking forward to it. Some of the stuff that went on behind the scenes would turn you away from it, but I love the game, I love football, I’m looking forward to it.”

And did his Damned City spell in Cork do anything to dampen his enthusiasm for football? Seemingly not, underlined by Collins’ relentless pursuit for opportunities to get back into the game he loves.

“I kept trying, kept applying for jobs and whatever comes up I’d go for. There wasn’t a job that came up that I didn’t put my name in for – everyday waking up wanting to be a manager. Applying for jobs in Cyprus, and I was supposed to go there, as I was Florida. Jacksonville in Florida, I agreed to go there, but they couldn’t sustain the money to bring my wife and family over so that fell through.

“I made my debut as a manager 16 years ago. Every day since I was in the dugout in Bangor up the North I wanted to be a manager. I love the game.”