Jack Collison Bio Send To Friend  

Collison made the breakthrough into the West Ham side at the end of the 2007/08 season as manager Alan Curbishley gave the club's young stars a chance to shine.

He is a tall midfielder with a great engine and a thunderbolt shot.

The player made his debut in January in a 2-0 defeat at Arsenal as a 37th minute replacement for Freddie Ljungberg and then made his first start in April in a 1-0 loss at Bolton Wanderers.

That earned him a call-up into the full Wales squad - he qualifies through his grandfather - in May and his first cap came against Iceland.

Collison actually began his career with Cambridge United before impressing during a trial at Upton Park in 2005.

He is a former captain of the Hammers' youth sides and was skipper of the reserves in 2007/08.