‘Natural goalscorer’ - Expert insight into Doncaster Rovers signing James Collins after loan move from Lincoln

BBC Radio Lincoln reporter Michael Hortin believes Doncaster Rovers have got themselves a ‘natural goalscorer’ with qualities that almost any manager would love in the form of James Collins.

The 35-year-old striker moved to DN4 from Lincoln City on transfer deadline day on a loan deal which runs until January

Collins hasn’t featured since December due to an ACL injury and is still in the final stages of his rehabilitation and is thought to be targeting a comeback for sometime between late October and early November.

Reacting to the move, Michael told the Doncaster Free Press: “I think probably like a lot of people initially you're a bit surprised because we knew that James was carrying a long-term injury from last season, but if Doncaster get anything like what Lincoln City had from James Collins, they'll have somebody with vast experience, certainly an eye for goal.

“Whether he's going to come in and play, I don't know, say Doncaster's got maybe 15, 20 games between sort of when he comes in formally and that end at the start of the January transfer window, he's not going to play every minute. That's a given coming back from injury and the age he is. But what he will do is I think he will be an option for the manager.

“I don't think it's a bad deal. I obviously don't know the finances of it, but I think it's got the potential to be something that could benefit Doncaster.”

Collins has 17 years of experience playing in the Football League and has been involved in seven promotions during his career, including three from League One to the Championship.

He’s known to be something of a leader behind the scenes, making him a viable candidate to replace the void left by Billy Sharp after his departure in the summer.

Michael added: “Lincoln has a leadership group of him, Tendayi Darikwa, Sonny Bradley, Connor McGrandles. And I think all of them are seen as players that Lincoln's younger players could learn from.

“So Lincoln have a striker called Freddie Draper. They obviously got Rob Street, who Doncaster fans will know. And I think if you spoke to all of them, they would feel that they benefit from him.

“And that's sort of an unseen benefit maybe by supporters and us in the media. So definitely in that. But I would be surprised if he came in and started playing 90 minutes because it was, to be honest, quite a while since he played 90 minutes for Lincoln City.

“And I think it would be fair to say if Lincoln's promotion push, he would have featured, but he wouldn't have been a regular starter, I don't think, in that second half of the season. I think things had evolved from that situation with Rob Street finding some form. I know Draper got injured later on in the season, but Lincoln has started to find goals in other departments.

“But he would still have been a part of that team. And I guess that's what it is now, isn't it? You know, you keep hearing from managers, it's a squad game. And I think that would be the case with Collins coming into Doncaster.

“He's not going to be starting every game, but he's certainly going to be somebody who's going to benefit the squad, which I imagine is the view at Doncaster.”

Collins scored 16 goals in 45 appearances for Lincoln after his move in January 2025. Including an eye-catching 10 in his first 20 league appearances.

When asked to describe what qualities Collins would offer Grant McCann’s side when fit and firing. He said: “He's a natural goal scorer. He'll get you a goal out of nowhere. He came on in games and got goals for Lincoln City.

“He didn't get too many, in truth, in the promotion season. But obviously, as we discussed, that was a curtailed season. But he still had that ability to just find a goal from nowhere.

“And I think that's what he is. If there was a criticism is that sometimes he got dragged a bit away from sort of that central box around the penalty box to score goals. And if the team was struggling to get forward, he would drop a bit deep to try and get involved.

“And I think that would frustrate some supporters. But at the bottom line is that he's a player with vast experience, played at the highest level and scored and scores goals. And that's something that I think all managers would want.”