Nathan Collins says Keith Andrews has earned his strong first season as Brentford head coach through years of hard work, while the defender also used a BBC Sounds interview to open up on life away from football.
Nathan Collins has backed Keith Andrews’ impact at Brentford, saying his head coach’s rise has come as no surprise to those who have seen the work behind it. In an interview with BBC Sounds, the Republic of Ireland defender said he was “buzzing” for Andrews when he stepped into the role last summer, and pointed to a long-standing relationship between the two that stretches back to Collins’ teenage years with the national team setup.
Collins says Andrews has earned his chance
Andrews’ appointment was met with some scepticism when Brentford promoted him from set-piece coach, largely because it was his first senior head coach role. Collins, though, made clear that view never matched the one inside his own experience.
“I have known Keith a long time, since I was 16,” Collins told The Football Interview on BBC Sounds. “I had him Under-17s with Ireland. I was buzzing for him as I know how hard he has worked.”
That line is significant because it offers a player’s view of Andrews that goes beyond the outside noise which followed his appointment. Collins was not speaking in general terms about a coach he has only recently encountered. He was reflecting on someone he has known for years, and his central point was that Andrews’ progress has been built on long-term work rather than a sudden opportunity.
The key quality Collins sees in his coach
Collins also highlighted the part of Andrews’ management that he believes matters most in a dressing room. “He has that balance where he knows when to shout at you and when to be your mate,” he said. “That man-management is really important.”
It is the kind of quote that will stand out at Brentford, because it speaks directly to one of the hardest parts of a head coach’s job. Tactical ideas can be analysed from the outside. The ability to manage people usually cannot. Collins’ view was that Andrews understands that balance, and that it has helped him settle into the role.
More than just a footballer
The interview also gave a broader look at Collins away from the pitch. Asked how he spends a day off, the 24-year-old pointed to golf with team-mates including Hákon Valdimarsson, Keane Lewis-Potter and Kristoffer Ajer. He described a Ryder Cup-style competition involving players and staff, with Collins noting that “the players won”.
There was also a more personal answer when he was asked what people get wrong about him. “Maybe I get the stereotypical, ‘he’s just a footballer’,” Collins said. “And then you get ‘ah he’s pretty nice to talk to’.”
“The main thing I want to be is just a good person, a nice person, a caring person,” Collins said. “As much as I want to be the best footballer I can ever be, I want to be the best person.”