Raith Rovers boss explains how Chelsea legend kickstarted his managerial career in US

Former centre-back Collins, now 41, ended an 18-year playing career which had also taken in Queen’s Park, Dumbarton, Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Preston North End, Leeds United and Sheffield United.

He said: "I was at Sheffield United coming out of contract maybe three or four months and I just was at a point where I thought I wanted something different, possibly going back to Scotland was an option.

"But I felt going into a completely different culture and environment and also we'd been on holiday a lot in the States so it was a place that we thought would be interesting for a young family to go.

"I was able to sign for Tampa where we already had a holiday home.

"I went and signed there and they signed Joe Cole not long after, Marcel Schaefer, a German international and record appearance maker at Wolfsburg, he's now the sporting director at Leipzig.

"They were putting a lot into it at the time Tampa. So it was a great experience to play. I played I think for two-and-a-half seasons but really the owner put a lot of money in, did a lot of things but we under-achieved.

“We probably had too many old players like myself and Joe!

“I built up a good friendship with Joe and when the owners asked him to become manager he told them he had no desire to do it.

“But he said to them that he knew who the person they should appoint was - and that was me.

“The owner had a meeting with me and asked if I wanted the opportunity.

“It was too good to turn down so overnight I went from playing with the guys to being their manager.

“Looking back now, I think I must have been off my head because it’s a totally different thing. But I felt I could help the team to where we wanted to be.

“There are a lot of similarities to the level we’re at now, so that will stand me in good stead. It was a fantastic five years working for great owners. I was able to experience some really good lessons as a manager and some success as well.

“It was a good thing being thrown into it the way I was.

“Sometimes ignorance is bliss but I had a belief that I could do it and I had good people around me with the staff I inherited.

“It’s good to have no fear when you first start out and just go for it, having that youthful enthusiasm.”

After two years as Rowdies manager, Collins returned to the UK to manage English outfit Barnsley in 2023-24. But he was sacked from Oakwell with one game left that term and returned to the fold as Ian Murray’s replacement as Raith gaffer on September 4.

Collins added: “I decided in the end I had to move on to progress and that’s why I came back.

“I never came close to coming back to Scotland, I had two or three in England but when I was at Tampa I didn’t entertain anything in the first three or four years. I was so focused on being in the best place to improve and do things right. It was only latterly I wanted to explore other things.”