ONLY THREE years ago the youthful figure of Danny Collins was appearing for his local Buckley Town in the Huws Gray-Fitlock Cymru Alliance League.

Now, after one of the biggest weeks in his short Football League career, Collins is preparing to feel the full force of Everton's ungentlemanly giant Duncan Ferguson in the FA Cup tomorrow.

The Sunderland defender, providing he is given a starting role despite the return to training of Gary Breen and Steve Caldwell, feels he is more than ready after clashing on the training ground with friend and teammate Chris Brown.

Collins predicts that an on-field feud with the likes of Ferguson will help him to develop his game and ensure he is ready to earn a first international cap, having been named in new Wales boss John Toshack's first squad to face Hungary next month.

"Duncan might leave the odd elbow in but you have to give as good as you get," said the 24-year-old. "In training me and Chris Brown have numerous battles. I actually got a split lip after a clash last week.

"But you have to take training seriously and if you do then it prepares you for the battles with the likes of Ferguson."

Collins qualifies to play for Wales via his father but the fact that he was brought up in North Wales means he regards himself as Welsh.

The opportunity to play for his country is one that he thought would never come along. During his time playing for part-timers Buckley he was working as a wood machinist.

However, he got his dream move into professional football, albeit in the Conference, with the club he supported as a boy, Chester City, in 2001.

Under Mark Wright he was given expert tutelage of how to become a top-class defender from a man who earned 45 caps for England.

But it was not until he enjoyed a loan spell with Vauxhall Motors - during which time they knocked QPR out of the FA Cup - that Wright recalled him and his football took off.

"When I was playing local football with Buckley I had a couple of trials at Wrexham and Tranmere, but it was Chester who gambled on me," said Collins.

"That was a great because to know that you are getting into full-time football is a great feeling. It's not really a relief it's just a nice feeling.

"I did fear my chance had gone but people in my situation have to keep working hard and never give up. That's what I did.

"There was a chance the opportunity to play professionally had passed me by. Fortunately I was wrong."

Now he is under the guidance of another former international defender at Sunderland, Mick McCarthy.

And Collins hopes McCarthy will stick with the defensive partnership with namesake Neill at Goodison Park after keeping two impressive Championship clean sheets against Sheffield United and Derby.

If the manager does that then Collins will be playing in front of his family and friends, who live just half an hour's drive from the Toffees' ground.

"My older brother Lee is a big Liverpool fan so he will be rooting for us on Saturday. I have had a lot of demand for tickets and I'm trying to get them all in. It will be a great experience for me to go and play there, particularly if I can get all my friends and family in," he said.

Playing at the Stadium of Light has already fulfilled one of his dreams, tomorrow could realise another.

With international and Premiership football also on the horizon there is every chance Collins will achieve one or two more dreams before his career is out.

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