Archie Collins: Exeter City midfielder closing in on 200 appearances

Archie Collins has scored 12 goals in 196 appearances in all competitions for Exeter City

For a 23-year-old Exeter City midfielder Archie Collins has more experience than most.

He helped Exeter win promotion to League One last May, two seasons after the Grecians suffered a chastening 4-0 play-off final loss to Northampton Town at an empty Wembley.

Yet another graduate of the Grecians' successful academy, Collins is on course to play his 200th game for the club next month, just over five years after his debut.

"I've loved it, I've enjoyed every single one of them," he tells BBC Sport of the 196 games he has played so far in red and white stripes.

"Being on the pitch is my favourite thing, being part of the team and achieving promotion and now being in League One.

"When I broke into the side it was different for me, it was like staying alive and doing everything I could to get back on the pitch on Saturday.

"It's been a journey, but I just love being a part of it - that feeling of performing well and winning on a Saturday after a game is up there for me."

'He's a great character'

Collins' last goal came in Exeter's 3-2 FA Cup first-round win at Port Vale last month

Collins had never played in League One until this season, but despite his lack of experience he is the only player to have started each of the Grecians' 22 third-tier matches in 2022-23.

For manager Gary Caldwell, who inherited Collins and his team-mates after taking over from Matt Taylor in October, the home-grown midfielder has been one of the first names on his team sheet.

"He's a great character, he's somebody who loves football, he comes to work every day with a smile on his face," Caldwell said.

"He works extremely hard and on top of that he has a lot of talent and quality in terms of receiving the ball in midfield, playing forward, and driving forward.

"I think the big thing when I came was trying to get goals into his game, which he added against Plymouth and against Port Vale - we'd like to see more of that but he's just a great player to have around and to have in the squad that really adds a lot of quality, but a really good person as well."

Collins' current deal at Exeter ends in the summer and negotiations between him and the club are ongoing.

But he says he is enjoying the tactical change that has come about since Caldwell took the reigns at St James Park.

"From Matt to Gary there's been a big change of style, and for me it's quite good because I've only ever known one style of play and that was probably ingrained in me for quite some time.

"Now at this point in my career it's probably a good thing that Gary's come in and I'm learning a whole new different style and play now.

"It's another step on my journey really."