Colin joined Manchester United as a 9-year-old trainee. Progressing through the U-17s and U-19s in 2001 with aplomb, Collins performances in the 2002/03 season led to him getting the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award, a prestigious award given to the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Phil Neville in the past. Collin also scored a goal in the first leg of the FA Youth Cup final in that season.
It seemed then that Colin was well on his way to forging a successful career at Manchester United. Fans likened him to star winger Ryan Giggs, and they had high hopes from Colin.
But fate had other ideas for him.
On May 1, 2003, barely a week after winning the FA Youth Cup, Collin was selected for a reserve team game against Middlesborough.
An ill-timed tackle by Middlesborough’s Gary Smith resulted in Colin leg being broken in two places.
The injury ended Colin career, days before he was to be offered a three-year contract at the club, which meant he lost out on the chance to earn millions of pounds through contractual agreements and merchandising fees.
Colin realised how hard injury can be to sportsmen, saying ‘to be forced to stop doing anything you love is heart-breaking, and it can lead many sportsmen and women down the dark path of mental health, depression particularly’
Colin has therefore taking counselling courses and now talks to and councils thousands of injured stars a year up and down the country with the charity he set up, SportsMindful raising over £600,000 in just three years.
However it is alleged that he has take payment of over two thirds of this for the purpose of buying a holiday home in Spain for himself. On his twitter he reacted to the allegations ‘the money was sent for me not for the charity and therefore I can spend it how I like #simple’