Hibs' new training centre can give Collins pulling power

HIBERNIAN manager John Collins believes the club's new training ground will give him an extra edge in the transfer market.

The former Monaco midfielder has found the current rain-hit facilities a hindrance since he swapped his home in the south of France for a return to Scotland.

His predecessor Tony Mowbray regularly expressed frustration with the lack of a permanent training ground.

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But Collins will benefit from the opening of a 3million training centre, which will be the biggest football facility in Scotland, in East Lothian next summer.

He told www.hibernianfc.co.uk: "It has been tough making the transition from France back to Scotland in terms of weather conditions.

"The weather recently has been horrendous for training in - our training ground is currently officially a swamp.

"We are trying to make the best of a difficult situation. I knew the conditions were not going to be great, so roll on the summer when Hibernian have their own training ground because these are testing times for players and coaching staff.

"I don't think people outside of football realise the massive importance for a club to have a training facility - 95 per cent of our lives as a player or coach is spent on the training ground.

"It is then imperative that a football club gets that sorted and has a proper training facility. We are well on the way to that now and the work will start in the new year."

He added: "It's hugely important because if you can work morning and afternoon with proper facilities on your doorstep, there will be less time travelling because you would not have to turn up at the stadium, [and then] drive to the training ground.

"Players are then all muddy getting back into their car to return to the stadium in sweaty and damp clothes. All these things add up to danger for a football club, dangerous preparation for games. The advantages will also include our ability to attract players to the club.

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"You might try and sign a player now, but if you take him to our existing training ground it would, I'm sure, make him have second thoughts about signing.

"So one thing we won't be doing right now is taking a prospective signing to our training ground.

"But come the summer next year it will be great to take potential new signings along to a proper training complex."