James Collins became a true hero to the Claret and Blue Army during his ten seasons in a West Ham United shirt.
The flame-haired defender was just 21 when he swapped his native South Wales and Cardiff City for the bright lights of east London and the Hammers in July 2005.
While the early months of his West Ham career were affected by injuries, competition for places – Anton Ferdinand, Tomas Repka, Christian Dailly and his close friend and former Cardiff teammate Danny Gabbidon were also part of Alan Pardew’s newly-promoted squad – and six losses in his first nine appearances, Collins waited patiently for his chance to impress, making his debut in a League Cup second-round victory at Sheffield Wednesday in September 2005.
Collins’ second season also took time to get going but, when it did, it really took off as he returned to the team for the unforgettable nine-match ‘Great Escape’ from relegation, which culminated in a typically resilient display from the defender in the 1-0 final-day win at champions Manchester United.
However, his West Ham career would take a backward step as first new manager Alan Curbishley chose Ferdinand and Matthew Upson as his first-choice partnership at the start of the 2007/08 season, then Collins himself suffered a serious knee injury in a reserve-team game at Portsmouth in January 2008, ruling him out for nine months.
Collins forced his way back into the team in October 2008 and stayed there but, early the following season, joined Aston Villa in a £5million deal. However, his West Ham career was far from over.
After three seasons with Villa, for whom he appeared in the 2010 League Cup final defeat by Manchester United, the then-28-year-old returned to the Hammers for a fee of around £2.5million in August 2012.
He made a career-high 30 starts in 2012/13, scoring two memorable headers in an FA Cup third-round tie with Manchester United under the Boleyn Ground floodlights, and was part of a strong defensive unit that also included Winston Reid, James Tomkins and Joey O’Brien.
Collins continued to play his part as he moved into his thirties, signing a new contract on Christmas Eve 2015, and his status among West Ham supporters grew as quickly as his striking orange beard.
Nicknamed the Ginger Pele by the Claret and Blue Army, the proud Welshman helped the Hammers qualify for Europe in back-to-back seasons and featured 25 times as the Club supported by his Essex-born wife Sam and her family bid farewell to the Boleyn Ground in 2015/16.
Collins was named captain for the Boxing Day trip to AFC Bournemouth on Boxing Day 2017 and celebrated by scoring his ninth and final goal for the Club.
And it was only fitting that the 34-year-old signed off his West Ham career by wearing the armband, which was handed to him by his teammate and friend of the past 13 years, Mark Noble, in the final-day victory over Everton at London Stadium in May 2018.