Nigerian Defender Collins Earns High Bundesliga Ratings Despite Club Woes

Despite the German top-flight boasting some of the world's most celebrated defenders in Borussia Dortmund's Matt Hummels and Bayern Munich duo of Jerome Boateng and David Alaba, Nigeria's little-known fullback continues to earn plaudits for an excellent maiden campaign

The Bundesliga has recognized Super Eagles defender Jamilu Collins has one of the league's finest defenders in the just-concluded season, despite his club suffering relegation only twelve months after winning promotion from the Bundesliga 2.

Collins won 416 of his 746 direct duels on the pitch, making him the league's most consistent competitor, bar Union Berlin's Sebastian Andersson who won 503 of his duels, as pointed out on the Bundesliga official website.

The 25-year-old defender was an ever-present performer for Paderborn, featuring in 30 league matches and contributing a goal and two assists to the club's cause.

It was, however, not enough as Paderborn were eventually demoted back to the lower division after only garnering 20 points from 34 games.

Collins may be on his way to the Premier League, though, with Newcastle reportedly looking to bolster their defensive options with the former Rijeka ace.