Roddy Collins has had a colourful managerial career,to say the least, writes Emmet Malone

No strangers to the Shamrock Rovers training ground of late, the Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland was preparing itself to spend some more time about the place over the coming days after receiving the news that Roddy Collins had been appointed as the club's new manager.

The union was required to intervene on behalf of members when Collins took over at both Bohemians and Dublin City while its English counterpart was also drafted in during the Dubliner's first few weeks at Carlisle United.

"Things get sorted out in the end," said PFAI official Fran Gavin, who has known the manager since the pair first played against each other as schoolboys. "But he's somebody who likes to make his presence felt when he arrives somewhere."

Collins, a centre forward who started his career at Dalymount Park and was much travelled by the time he moved into management, started his current career with a disappointing spell at Irish League side Bangor Town.

His real break came when the Bohemians committee decided to sack Joe McGrath just a handful of games into the 1998/'99 season and handed the job to the unproven Dubliner.

Progress was initially slow and a fairly decent collection of players only managed to avoid relegation after the play-offs but, having transformed the look of the squad with a string of signings that included Glen Crowe and Kevin Hunt - as well as a variety of much less successful recruits - the team made considerable progress: finishing third and reaching the FAI Cup final the following season before wining the double in 2001. Despite the successes, Collins managed to alienate people both on and off the pitch at the club and when he declined to attend a meeting regarding a new contract, the club took the opportunity to dispense with his services.

Since then it has been relatively all downhill for the brother of former boxing champion Steve, even if he has never allowed his confidence to be affected by the subsequent setbacks.

Just before the following season he was appointed manager of Carlisle United. He was dismissed the following April after criticising then owner Michael Knighton for a delay in selling the club to Irishman John Courtenay with whom Collins was close.

When the deal finally went through, Collins was reinstalled and confidently predicted that within five years he would be managing in the Premiership. "I could walk into Liverpool tomorrow and take over, no problem," he said.

Carlisle, however, continued to prove a stiff enough challenge as the team, that included several young Irish players, struggled to get by in the rough and tumble of the English Third Division.

"Everything I do in club football will just be part of my apprenticeship until I get the Irish job," he announced last year but his side continued to hover around the relegation zone and in February he made the headlines in England for refusing to allow his players into their dressing-room at half-time because he was disappointed with their first-half efforts against Exeter City.

Matters didn't improve and though Collins predicted promotion for last season, he was instead sacked after what Courtenay described as "a 10-second meeting" after the team lost its first six competitive games.

During the 11 months that followed he was linked, often at his own behest, with a succession of jobs both here and in Britain but failed to get back into the game until Ronan Seery turned to him in July. He insisted he would turn things around for Dublin City. But despite widespread changes and the brief use of veterans like Carlton Palmer and Efan Ekoku the club's form became marginally worse. The situation was also made slightly comical by his official status as an unpaid advisor, something prompted by an agreement with Carlisle that he could retain a €60,000 Mercedes until he got another job. He said last night that his contract at Rovers would be discussed today and the matter of whether he is to be paid will presumably feature at some point.