Roddy Collins has recalled how he mistook Carlisle United’s goalkeeper for a striker in his turbulent start to life as Blues manager.

The colourful former Brunton Park boss describes the comical moment in his new autobiography, which is titled 'The Rodfather'.

Collins’ memories of his United reign from 2001-3 have emerged in extracts from his book which have been published in the Irish Independent.

He said of his introduction to the club: “Most of the players put in an effort at training as I tried to get my bearings. We were doing a running session one morning. There was a blond, good-looking giant of a lad who I noticed busting his gut. I pulled him aside and I asked his name.

“‘Luke Weaver,’ he said. ‘See you, Luke? You’re exactly what my team needs – a big, strong centre-forward who puts himself about like I did in my day.’

‘Er, thanks, gaffer,’ he said.

‘I want to make you the focal point of our attack,’ I said. ‘I’ll help you to score a lot of goals for us – do you hear me?’

‘I do, gaffer.’ It was only later on, when I looked at a team shot, that I discovered he was our goalkeeper. Either he was too embarrassed to tell me or he thought I was a mad Paddy.”

Collins describes how Tony Hopper, the much-missed former United midfielder who also played for Bohemians, recommended him to Carlisle, who were then run by Mark Knighton, son of owner Michael who was serving a company directorship ban.

Collins, 60, claims he would have taken the job for “one hundred quid a week” because he felt he was on the road to much bigger things in the game.

He joined United at a time of off-field turmoil, and claims he interrupted a training session overseen by caretaker boss Billy Barr on his first day to blast the team as “going nowhere” and without “desire, passion, work rate, honesty”.

He said he dragged veteran player Mark Winstanley into his office for “laughing” at him – only to realise the defender had been smiling at Collins because he agreed with the new boss’s strong words about the side.

Collins, though, claims some senior players in the squad “didn’t respect me" from the outset, describing left-back Lee Maddison as “the main man” among them.

Of a stark opening-day defeat to Luton Town, Collins added: “I had a serious battle on my hands. I knew I couldn’t improve the technical ability of the players I’d inherited.

“The only thing I could improve was their effort – and against Luton that was almost completely absent. There were three or four players who I thought were deliberately swinging the lead.”

He described how he then demanded that four players he described as “mutton heads” had to do an 8am run around Carlisle, with Collins riding a bike in front of them.

“Suddenly, everyone was talking about the new manager and how he’d publicly shamed four of his most senior players by making them run up and down the main street,” he said.

Collins claimed he won sceptical Blues fans over during a talk-in in the Sands Centre.

“They were reasonable, knowledgeable football supporters who’d just come to the end of their tether,” he said. “They made it clear that they supported me, but they did not support the owners.

“But I was employed by Carlisle United, which was 93 per cent owned by Michael Knighton. If I publicly criticised him, I knew I’d be sacked.”

Collins said he promised that Knighton was serious about seeking a buyer for the club, and pledged United would not get relegated.

He said he got a standing ovation at the end of the night, which came early in one of the most turbulent managerial reigns at Carlisle in recent times.

Collins’ book also includes details of negotiations that brought striker Richie Foran to Brunton Park.

And he also gives his account of the moment he met John Courtenay at a pub in Castleknock, Dublin, setting in train the series of events that led to his fellow countryman (who died in 2020) buying United in 2002.

He described the future Carlisle owner as a “loudmouthed, bombastic sort of character” who was intrigued by Collins’ progress at Brunton Park.

“[‘How] much is that club worth?’ he [Courtenay] asked.

“I don’t know – maybe a million or two,” I [Collins] said. “All I know is, if it was run properly, it could be an absolute gold mine. We’re getting by on crowds of 4,000 or 5,000, but we could be getting three times that amount. It’s a First Division club that just happens to be trapped in the Third.”

“He [Courtenay] took a long drag on his cigarette. ‘If I buy that club,’ he said, ‘will you sign a five-year contract?’

“’Are you serious?’ I asked.

“‘I’m gen-u-inely serious,’ he said.

Collins' reign at United saw finishes of 17th and 22nd in the bottom division, plus an LDV Vans Trophy final appearance in 2003.

He was then sacked early in the 2003/4 season as Paul Simpson took charge.

The full extracts from his book are published in the Independent HERE.

The Rodfather, by Roddy Collins, with Paul Howard, is published by Sandycove on October 6.