At 27, Doug Collins, fair-haired, compact and of untiring energy, is playing better than ever before. And, judging by the way he and his team-mates have quickly settled down, Burnley are soon to become a power again. Turf Moor can boast a long line of top inside-forwards: Jimmy McIlroy, Gordon Harris, Ralph Coates and Dave Thomas spring readily to mind. Collins is now showing that he can compare with these international-class players.

Doug himself relates the Burnley aim. "Skill is everything here. Everything we do is geared to producing football at its best. We know what we are doing. We try to play in the real Burnley tradition."

That is just what they have been doing. Up front, Frank Casper, Leighton James, Paul Fletcher and Ray Hankin have been outstanding. In midfield, Collins has linked with skipper Martin Dobson and Geoff Nulty in providing an inspiring axis. Collins has never been a player to catch the eye. Not until this season, that is. Now he is the kernel part of the Turf Moor set-up.

"There is such a terrific spirit here," he says. "So much skill, too. It all began at the beginning of last season; we went on to win promotion. Nothing has changed. We're so full of confidence. Jimmy Adamson is the man to take all the credit. I couldn't say enough about what he has done for us and for me in particular. He has set down an ultimatum for us to follow: graft and work, or you're out. That's all there is to it, but it has helped us no end. I'm playing better than I have ver done in my life."

Collins has had to wait quite a time to grab his bit of the limelight. He began his career with Rotherham as a 16-year-old apprentice professional. Eleven years later he has developed into a workmanlike and calculating midfield player, with one of the best left feet in the business. Born in Leeds, Doug was spotted by Rotherham boss Tom Johnston while playing in a local league. "I signed on and it was while I was at Millmoor that I first met Frank Casper. He was a couple of years older than I was and one of my chores was to clean his boots. He still likes to remind me of those days from time to time."

Just nine months after Collins had signed on, Johnston, now manager of York City, moved to take over at Grimsby. He asked Doug to go along too. "The main reason I went was that I was being offered full professional forms," he says, "and they were in the Second Division at the time. We were quite successful for two seasons, but were then relegated and later went down to the Fourth. The problem with playing at Grimsby was that you were out on a lake, miles from anywhere.

After going down to the Fourth Division I was hoping to get away. I had being playing well enough, but you get little publicity. I was thinking about asking for a transfer and by the start of the new season I hadn't renewed my contract. It was then that we played Burnley in a League Cup game. I played well and someone came to watch me again soon afterwards. So, of course, as soon as Burnley had shown interest in me other clubs came to have a look."

In September 1968, Burnley's offer of �20,000 was enough to take Collins to Turf Moor. "I had enjoyed my time at Grimsby and I liked the place well enough. But it was so far from anywhere. I was glad to get away, especially to a First Division club. It was a wonderful chance for me."

Things went well for Collins from the start. He made his debut in a 2-1 home win over Chelsea, made 23 League appearances and ended the season as the club's second leading goalscorer. Doug says, "I got some terrific notices. Everything seemed to go right for me. It wasn't until the following season that I started to struggle."

A clash of personalities between Collins and manager Harry Potts didn't help matters, leaving Doug with only a handful of games and doubts to cloud his mind. Things were no better the season after. "I found it very difficult to make any impression," says Collins. "I simply couldn't get a place, let alone keep one. I was really worried and when we finally got relegated I started wondering whether it had all been a mistake to move there. But Jimmy Adamson changed all that. He got us going again before we had time to complain about our misfortune."

After finishing seventh in their first complete season under Adamson's management, Burnley then marched to the Second Division Championship with a confidence that has remained as strong as ever. "I got back into the side at the beginning of last season and I immediately felt so much better," explains Collins. "I've never looked back from that moment. We had a tremendous season."

And the Burnley skill has kept them going this season. "At Burnley there are no stars. They used to say Ralph Coates and Dave Thomas were our top men, but unless they provided the work they were out. The club could afford to let them go. They knew that there were others who could graft and play every bit as well as them." Doug, whose wife Pat is expecting their second child around Christmas time, believes that Burnley will soon be a major force in the land. He is also revelling in his fine form.

"I like to work the ball a lot and I've found so much more room in the First Division. In the Second Division, the opposition are usually content to just mark you, but in the First there are so many more players who want to use the ball that they allow you more time and space to do what you want. Then its just a case of pitting your skills against them. And when you come up against the likes of Bell, Peters, Currie and Kember and come out on top, well, it can't be bad can it?"

With more than a hundred first team appearances for Burnley already under his belt, the new, mature Doug Collins looks like being an inside-forward in the real Turf Moor mould.

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