Barnsley are set to have a new number 1 between the posts for the first time in five years after Bradley Collins signed from Premier League giants Chelsea yesterday.
The 22 year old is poised to replace Adam Davies who is very close to tying up a deal with Stoke City after five years and 109 appearances at Oakwell.
Collins who has signed an inital four year deal with the option of a fifth started his career with Chelsea and despite having never appeared for their first team he was the first choice at Under 18 level winning both the UEFA Youth League and FA Youth Cup in 2014-2015 before moving on to be the number 1 for both the club's under 19 and under 21 side and featured in all three Football League Trophy games for the Under 23s in 2016-2017 as they finished bottom of Southern Section Group C.
This glowing reputation saw him earn a loan move to League Two side Forest Green Rovers for the 2017-2018 campaign, making 45 appearances in all competitions and keeping nine clen sheets to help the Nailsworth out to finish 21st, one point clear of the drop zone in their first ever season in the Football League.
This earned Collins a "promotion" as he joined Burton Albion on loan in September 2018, fresh from their relegation with Barnsley from the Championship and he kept 11 clean sheets in 35 appearances, including one at Oakwell in a 0-0 draw in February.
Collins who was also part of the Burton side which lost 9-0 at Manchester City in the Carabao Cup Semi-Finals was released by Chelsea at the end of the season and has subsequently signed with the Reds who he played against twice in 2018-2019 (also the 3-1 defeat at the Pirelli - conceding from a penalty by Cauley Woodrow)