Brentford and Ireland captain Nathan Collins on World Cup dreams

What are you doing? Let’s try to get to know you a little better outside the field. First of all, I always like to ask: What were you like when you were young?

What are you doing? If you asked my mom or dad, they would say I’m crazy! I was itching a little, I had to move constantly. I just couldn’t sit down and relax. I always had to do something. That’s why they had to burn me. I always wanted to be on the grass or play football, running around to release my energy. I guess I was a hard sell for my family, I can put it that way!

What are you doing? It seems like a pretty chaotic house. How many siblings do you have?

What are you doing? I have an older brother, a younger sister and a younger brother. I guess it was just a constant struggle to beat my brother. It was very difficult because of the age difference. We were all training at different times and they were running out of the house and forgetting your boots or taking two cars in different directions. It was a bit of a massacre, but it couldn’t have been any other way.

What are you doing? Are you still close now?

What are you doing? Oh yes, of course. I talk to them on the phone more or less every day. Every chance I get to go home, I will. My mother goes to every game, both home and away. He watches it all.

What are you doing? So it flies away? Are they still in Ireland?

What are you doing? Yes, they live in Ireland so it flies and goes everywhere to be fair.

What are you doing? At home or away?

What are you doing? Yes.

What are you doing? That’s some commitment!

What are you doing? I know, I tell him ‘listen, there’s no need for this’ and he says ‘no, I want it’.

What are you doing? Not everyone has a son who is a Premier League footballer… In a way I understand the objection!

What are you doing? Yeah, I don’t think you watched the matches. I think he’s been looking at me the whole game and seeing what I’m doing. Then he came and said, ‘Why did you scratch your leg so much during the match?’ he will ask. … ‘I don’t know. How do you know this?’

What are you doing? Oh bless her, this is really sweet. How would your best friend describe you?

What are you doing? I’d like to think they would describe me as the child I grew up to be. The first thing that came to their mind was that they didn’t say I was a football player. I think they’d say: ‘Oh Nathan, he’s just a good lad… he’s a bit of a chatterbox and puts himself out there whenever he can’… but I don’t think they’d look at me as a footballer, which I really like. And it just means that when I’m with them, I can be myself and enjoy being one of them.

What are you doing? So what would you do if your manager gave you a day off?

What are you doing? It depends. If it’s a weekday and the weather is nice, I play golf with a few young people here and we go out in the sun.

What are you doing? Are you ok?

What are you doing? I am good. Listen, I can play. I’m not the best, but I’m not the worst either.

What are you doing? Who are you playing with here?

What are you doing? The current group consists of myself, Keane Lewis-Potter, Kris Ajer and Hakon Valdimarsson. We have a good squad because we have a lot of players and we train a bit Ryder Cup style.

What are you doing? Oh beautiful!

What are you doing? So staff vs players.

What are you doing? Wow!

What are you doing? Yes, because there are too many players. We did this last year. We played 18 holes in the morning, went for lunch and played 18 holes in the afternoon and it was really fun. The players won, so thank God!

What are you doing? Ah, that was my next question. Do you have any secret hobbies?

What are you doing? I love cooking, that’s one thing. I think I forget everything when I cook. I’m just in my own little zone and my head kind of quiets down, which is nice.

What are you doing? Are you a good cook?

What are you doing? Depends on who you ask…

What are you doing? If I asked your girlfriend…

What are you doing? Yes, it actually says: ‘Oh, you’re getting better at cooking!’

What are you doing? This is a bit arrogant!

What are you doing? Yeah, so I thought… ‘Does this mean I’m bad?’

What are you doing? You are right. What do people misunderstand most about you?

What are you doing? Maybe I’m thinking a bit stereotypically: ‘Oh, he’s just a football player.’ Maybe they understand that and think: ‘Oh, he’s really nice to talk to… he’s nice… he’s kind of laid back… he’s calm.’

I always want to be a good person too. This is important to me; To be a good person, a good person, a compassionate person. As much as I want to be the best football player I can be, I also want to be the best person I can be and I think that’s something I always strive for.

What are you doing? What was the most difficult moment of your career? Did you have a difficult moment?

What are you doing? I had a game against Wolves for Brentford and I made two mistakes in the game. I gave away two goals, we lost like 3-1 and I roughed up the Wolves fans because I had just left Wolves and the fans had a lot to do with me, a lot of stick. I said, ‘Oh my God, this can’t get any worse.’

To be fair, Thomas Frank called me that night and said: ‘Listen Nathan, this is probably the worst game you’ll ever play in your career’ and he said ‘so it’s only from here’.