Peterborough United boss pays tribute to 'unbelievable' Archie Collins as he prepares to exit club

Collins is set to play his 160th and final Posh game against Doncaster on Saturday.

He will depart the club ahead of the expiration of his contract this summer and will look for pastures new. During his time at the club he has been involved in one play-off campaign and lifted the EFL Trophy twice.

He is the last player left at the club who appeared in either of the play-off semi-final matches against Oxford at the end of the 2023/24 season.

Collins signed for the club from Exeter City in the summer of 2026 for an undisclosed fee described at the time as a “big six figure fee.” He is expected to attract Championship interest.

In paying tribute to the 26-year-old, Williams said: “Archie is unbelievable. The team was in a tough spot and Archie really is the guy in the middle of the pitch doing his fair share of attacking, defending, helping to set up play. He is so reliable every day in training and every game. You know what you are going to get from him.

“The phrase is plug in and play. Every day in training he’ll be great, every meeting he will be attentive and understanding, every game he well play well or very well. This is really a luxury. You’re pretending you’re a good coach when you work with Archie because it’s too easy.

“I am very grateful to him. He is such a good player with such an uncertain future but he has still played so many minutes and through injuries too. One morning in training I noticed he’d changed his boots. I asked him about it and he said they were a size up because his toes were killing him. I asked if he was stamped on in a game and he said no, they’ve been killing me for weeks and the toenails have all gone black. He was just willing to crack on, no one would have ever known if I hadn’t asked him. He’s never asked to miss a training session or come off in a game.

“How many times have we seen him chest out blocking a shot on the edge of the 18-yard box and then slipping into the box to finish like a number nine? These types of players are underestimated and undervalued. He can do so many roles for the team. I’ve been really impressed with that.

“If the Championship as a whole is silly enough to not give him an opportunity then it is crazy. Whatever he does, he will join a really ambitious club with a chance of having a very good season.”

Posh will also wave goodbye to Chelsea loanee Jimmy-Jay Morgan, who has scored 14 times this season as well as Peter Kioso, on his second loan speel from Championship side Oxford United.

Williams thanked both for their efforts. He said: “Jimmy has grown and played a new position. We had a very tough period where we didn’t look like we had as many goals in the team as previously but Jimmy stepped up and scored five in five. I’ve loved working with him. He’s so talented, I hop he goes on to have a really top career.

“PK is a warrior. He knows the level. For him to have played so well at full-back and then come inside to centre-back, he deserves enormous credit. Often, he’s had a different centre-back partner from one game to another.

“It is also fair to say that he has really helped James Dornelly. He has been a role model for him. He’s a guy you can really rely on. A huge thank you to those two.”