Jack Collison

Date of Birth : 2nd October, 1988 Place of Birth : Watford Signed : July 2007 Position : Midfielder Height : 6.0 Weight : Appearances: 20 (5) Goals : 3 International Appearances : 4

KB: KUMB; HM Hammers Mad; ST Sunday Times; SE Sunday Express; SM Sunday Mirror; OB Observer;
DM Daily Mirror; GU Guardian; TM Times; HD Hammers Diary; SK Sky; DE Daily Express BC BBC

Hammer's Diary: For a player who has only made 15 appearances this season, Jack Collison has made a tremendous impact. Injury has restricted him over the last few weeks, and he has been sorely missed, but I think we all know that he will be in Zola’s starting eleven in August. He’s scored three goals and always looks dangerous in attack. He’s willing to shoot from distance and take on players, and he’s also tenacious in defence.

Sky Sports: Just 90 seconds after the restart Collison was inches away from capping a fine West Ham move with the opener. The Wales international started the attack with some good, aggressive running, before passing to Cole and continuing his run. Cole found Di Michele with a crisp first touch and the latter's cross curled invitingly towards Collison. The angle was tough and he just failed to connect with an attempted volley and the danger was cleared... The home side's failure to create something clear-cut must have frustrated the fans but, predictably, Bellamy's substitution with 25 minutes to play gave them something to cheer. With 71 minutes gone, they were in even finer voice as they celebrated Collison's perfectly executed finish. Savio, on as Behrami's replacement, claimed the assist after his swerving effort forced Given to parry the ball back into the penalty box. But the finish was equally impressive as Collison lifted the rebound into the top corner with the side of his foot to beat the scrambling goalkeeper.

Hammer's Diary: Collison, though, was for me the man of the match in the first half. He was all over the pitch and just as effective in defense as attack. Has he actually ever had a bad game for us? Maybe being left out at Middlesborough gave him an added incentive to do well. He faded a bit in the second half, but that should not obscure how well he took his goal. It was not an easy chance.

The Times: Bellamy, who was playing with a knee injury, had been replaced by Elano when City fell behind 19 minutes before time. Jack Collison, 20, scooped the ball into the net for his third goal of the season after Shay Given could only parry a strike by Savio into his path.

Daily Mirror: The plaudits went to Welsh international Collison, a 20-year-old with the balance and passing range of Trevor Brooking, whose 70th-minute opportunism settled a feisty affair with a high injury toll. Collison pounced when Shay Given could only parry Hammers substitute Savio's shot, and City's attempts to salvage a point were so feeble that if they had punched a doorbell, nobody would have heard it ring. Hammers manager Gianfranco Zola, relieved by his side's first League win since January, said: "There were a lot of expensive players on the pitch, but the only goal came from a boy who cost nothing - and that's the beauty of football. "If you have the passion and belief, you can be successful - and Jack is a perfect example of that. He has a great attitude, and he is only going to get better. (Mike Walters)

Hammers News: My man of the match. His promotion to the first-team has been a tremendous difference to the side's performance. Has the ability to go to the very top. West Ham's ambition will be tested by the offers that will come from the top clubs for this highly promising player.

BBC Sport: Nadir Belhadj fired Pompey ahead from 10 yards, but Jack Collison rifled past an unsighted David James to level. Pompey's Jermain Defoe missed a penalty before Carlton Cole tapped in a second for West Ham after another Bellamy run.

Sky Sports: West Ham had never won a Premier League game against Portsmouth but they dominated the early exchanges, with Bellamy curling a free-kick over after Collison was scythed down by Sol Campbell. The Hammers' early pressure did not produce a goal however, and Portsmouth settled their nerves with the opener after eight minutes. Left-back Belhadj started and finished a fine sweeping move, his cross-field pass finding Little, who launched a high cross to Peter Crouch at the far post. The tall striker deftly plucked the ball from the air and pulled back to Belhadj, who slammed home his second goal of the season. Collison's shot minutes later was deflected wide, but the midfielder made no mistake with West Ham's equaliser midway through the half. Cole latched on to Scott Parker's quick free-kick on the left and crossed low to Collison, whose first-time shot went through the legs of an unsighted David James.

The Guardian: Valon Behrami, the 23-year-old Kosovo-born Swiss, foraged diligently on the left, while Jack Collison, a 20-year-old Welshman making only his seventh appearance in the Premier League, never flagged and, when appropriate, showed a sense of initiative. Chelsea's all-star midfield quintet were never given a minute's peace. (Richard Williams)

BBC Sport: Jack Collison put the hosts ahead with a stunning curling shot after fine work from Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker.

KUMB: On 63 minutes, the breakthrough came and even the most partisan of Scousers could not deny that on the balance of play West Ham deserved it. The ball was brilliantly back heeled by Parker tight against the dead ball line to find Collison in space. He did not funk the opportunity and passed a curling shot into the far corner. It was a deserved reward for a creditable performance that had more than a hint of Michael Carrick about it. (East End Martin)

BBC Sport: Boro struggled to handle the youthful enthusiasm of Sears and Collison, and Bellamy's pace gave them more headaches... Collison should have made it 2-0 after being set up by Bellamy, but he shot into the ground allowing Turnbull to make an easy save.... Middlesbrough then went all out in search of a winner, stretching themselves at the back, and they were nearly made to pay at the death. But Turnbull repelled both Bowyer and Collison from close range in injury-time to deny the visitors the three points.

Daily Mirror: Four consecutive defeats meant the trip to the North-East was a test of nerve, and of Zola's managerial nous. There were mixed results. West Ham were cruising for an hour, with Craig Bellamy at his best and Jack Collison impressing. (Simon Bird)

KB: KUMB; HM Hammers Mad; ST Sunday Times; SE Sunday Express; SM Sunday Mirror; OB Observer;
DM Daily Mirror; GU Guardian; TM Times; HD Hammers Diary; SK Sky; DE Daily Express

Daily Mirror: West Ham went out with a whimper. Alan Curbishley is finding it hard to cope with their injuries and the fact they are in a mid-table Dead Calm zone. The only point of these last few games is to blood some of the youngsters, but even that went wrong for him. Jack Collison started in midfield but was quiet and Curbs subbed him just after half-time. Those noisy Hammers fans turned on him for that but he explained: "I feel sorry for him. He didn't get the chance to express himself and I felt I had to change it . Jack was disappointed but he will get over it. "I was going to send young Jack Tomkins on when Anton Ferdinand came off, but it would have been too much to ask with Jack in midfield." Young Freddie Sears was the shaft of bright light in an otherwise dull show. He deserves a proper run. (Alan Nixon, 14th April 2008).