Nathan Collins in action for Ireland against Bosnia during the 2018 European U17 Championship.

Nathan Collins in action for Ireland against Bosnia during the 2018 European U17 Championship.

MANCHESTER UNITED ARE poised to sign 18-year-old Irish defender Nathan Collins from Stoke City, according to reports in the UK.

Sportsmail say former United midfielder Darren Fletcher — who has been linked with the club’s director of football vacancy — has recommended the Republic of Ireland U17 international to manager Ole Gunaar Solksjaer.

Collins made three first-team appearances for the Potters in the Championship this season, and Solksjaer is understood to be keen to sign more young talent following years of marquee recruitments that have, for the most part, flattered to deceive at Old Trafford.

Fletcher was released by Stoke at the end of the season but saw enough of Collins to believe he would fit in at United, the club at which Fletcher spent 13 seasons and made 342 appearances before departing for West Brom in 2015.

Collins in first-team action for Stoke away to Middlesbrough. Source: Richard Sellers

From Leixslip in Co. Kildare, the six-foot-four Collins came through the ranks at Cherry Orchard before officially signing for Stoke in June of 2017.

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Last summer, he became the third member of his family to captain Ireland at a major underage tournament when he wore the armband during the Boys In Green’s European U17 Championships campaign.

His father, David Collins was previously on the books at Liverpool before going on to play for Wigan, Oxford United, Shelbourne and Athlone Town. His uncle, Eamonn Collins, is the former manager of St Patrick’s Athletic who as a player represented Southampton and Portsmouth among others.

Collins also has a football-playing brother: Josh Collins, three years his senior, plays for UCD in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.

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