Joey Barton rated it as Bristol Rovers' best piece of business from a busy summer – the three-year contract signed by star forward Aaron Collins – and the 25-year-old says his brimming confidence will not subside anytime soon.
Collins has continued his fine form from last season, when he finished as Rovers' top scorer with 18 goals, into this campaign, providing seven goal contributions in as many League One games.
The Gas are yet to click into gear this season, occupying 16th place in the standings after seven games, but Collins has certainly started on the front foot, meriting a nomination for the League One Player of the Month prize earlier this week.
Things are looking very bright for the 25-year-old in the short term, and he is excited about the future in BS7.
"I wouldn’t have signed for an extra two years on top of this if I didn’t have the belief that the gaffer was going to take this club somewhere as well as the enjoyment I have working with the staff," he said.
"There are also players who are in contract for the next two years and they are players who I want to be playing with. I’m looking forward to it.
"Over the past 12 months, people might’ve seen a change in me and I think I’ve just thrived off it. I’m doing well, confidence is building and I’m not going to let that go down anytime soon."
Collins' best form last season came when he was pushed forward as a number nine, but with the arrival of John Marquis and Ryan Loft's growing scoring form, the former Forest Green Rovers and Newport County forward has been asked to show his versatility.
He has played as a second striker, a winger and as number 10 so far this campaign, thriving in each role. The goals column, naturally, is an area of focus for Collins, but he is not too fussed about who is getting on the scoresheet if Rovers are winning.
"The staff have been speaking to me about the different positions I’ve been playing and helping me, but last season was so different when I played the role as the number nine," he said. "This season, I haven’t had to because we’ve brought it players to do that.
"I did well last season and I’d like to think I can do better in another position and at the start of this season it has (been) proved, on the left, up as a two or in behind the strikers.
"It has proved I am versatile, which hasn’t always been a positive because managers don’t always see that as a positive but this season I’ve played three different positions and I’m doing well for the cause.
"Player as a number nine last season was about goals, goals, goals, and assists didn’t matter. This season, I’m playing in and around there are other people to score the goals as well. If I’m supplying them, I’m happy because if the ball is in the back of the net it is a positive because we can go on and win or get a result from the game.
"We just need goals and, at the end of the day, if I’m the one scoring them or supplying them, I’m happy."
Barton has pinpointed defending set-pieces as an area Rovers must improve, with the Gas holding the worst record in the division so far, and Collins thinks it is clear what needs to change.
"I think it’s just concentration, like conceding from the corner (against Morecambe) for the first," he said. "The games against Shrewsbury and Morecambe have been completely different. We took the lead against Shrewsbury and conceded off a corner, which was a lack of concentration.
"The other way around Morecambe, we went behind twice and fought back and showed we can come back from behind and get a result. We want more than a point, but there are positives.
"The core is still here and there are new assets. It’s not a brand new team but there are a lot of new players and it’s going to take time to click as well as the results. We’ve been unfortunate at the moment and, hopefully, the results do start coming."
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