collins signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with championship side sheffield united after being signed by micky adams for an undisclosed fee in january 2011. he made his debut in a 3–0 defeat to ipswich town at portman road on 5 february. he was a regular in defence for the remainder of the 2010–11 season, playing 14 games, but struggled as the team undertook an ultimately unsuccessful battle against relegation; he later said that "ill discipline was rife at the club on and off the pitch" and "i tried to be like roy of the rovers and terry butcher rolled into one and it didn't go well".