About James Collins (footballer, born 1983)
James Michael Collins (born 23 August 1983) is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a defender. He started his career with Cardiff City, progressing through the club's youth system before making his senior debut in 2000. He also played for two periods with West Ham. At international level, Collins represented the Wales national football team, making his debut in 2004. He went on to win 51 caps before announcing his international retirement in 2017. Collins was included in the Great Britain Olympic football team shortlist for the London 2012 Olympics, but he did not make the final 18. Collins announced his retirement from football in October 2020. He made his debut for Cardiff at the age of 17 in an FA Cup match against Bristol Rovers on 19 November 2000, which Cardiff won 5–1, as a substitute in place of Robert Earnshaw. Collins' broke into the first-team playing as a forward, scoring in his first start for the club during a 1–1 draw with Colchester United in November 2001. He won the Welsh Young Player of the Year award in 2005.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.