The only thing most people know about you is that you're a Scot? Yeah. My parents are from the Highlands - an island in the Outer Hebrides. The name Murdo is actually Celtic for 'Sea Warrior' and we came down to Glasgow when I was six. So extensively my upbringing was in Glasgow - in Partick. You must have seen a lot of football from a young age? Absolutely. When I came through at school level, there were people like Andy Gray about. Football's a passion there and you either support Rangers or Celtic. We'd play out in the streets - something you don't see that much anymore - with a tennis ball. My mother's ornaments took a hell of a beating! So were you a blue or a green and white? I'm proud to say I'm a Blue. So you must have seen some great times at Rangers. Well as people know, I was an agent for 13 years and for a good part of that I looked after the squad that went nine in a row for Rangers which was a massive thing for the football club. So for me I was a fan, I played football and represented the majority of the first team during that spell. It was an absolutely superb job to do. How did you move into football and who did you play for? I've done a variety of things. I served in the services - in the Royal Navy - had brief spells at Thistle, had a brief spell down here in England and ended up playing the semi-professional Highland League. But as for how I got to be doing this, it was through being an agent. I've done my coaching licences because I always wanted to increase my knowledge of football. Becoming an agent was actually a strange story because it was just through a lad from Ireland - Steve Penney - who was having trouble with his contract and I helped him move to Burnley. Then I moved someone else to Burnley, helped the manager out there - Jimmy Mullen - and it just went from there. Then I got involved with a large firm of accountants and things just went from strength to strength. It must be great combining your passion with your job. Believe me, it is a passion. At this football club, the great thing is being able to have an influence on players from the age of nine. For me, football's lost its way a little bit - the technical ability seems to have gone and someone was telling me the reason we had that technical ability which doesn't seem as prevalent now was we were trying to avoid the cars and lamp-posts whilst playing with the tennis ball - that'll help your senses, no problem. As a Scot, are you upset at how the national team's gone of late? Upset and embarassed. A lot of people I did my coaching badges with - this was going back a bit - we could foresee what was coming. The influx of foreigners into Scottish football probably impacted more on us than on any other nation and it stopped the kids coming through. They're coming through now but only because they can't afford the foreigners anymore. It's sad. When I think of the Scotland players I've watched and represented over the years. To look at the players now - and it's not their fault because they're good honest professional players and I'm sure they're delighted to get a cap - but for me, the majority wouldn't have got a cap if you go back five, six, seven years. So as a Scot it's disappointing. But we seem to be suffering in rugby, and every other sport - but I believe we're world champions at polo on an elephant - so I can at least take some joy in that! Scotland also produces good managers doesn't it. Why is that? I think it's the temper. I think we're a very passionate race. I think you saw that when we took the English on at Bannockburn in 1314 and beat them. We're very driven and very proud. There's a passion and a drive. You can see it in Alex Ferguson and the way he is, and looking back at Shankly. There's a fire in us and I'm not sure where it comes from. It doesn't matter if we're outnumbered 10 to one, we'll still have a go. What do you do outside of football? Are you a golfer? Yeah I play a bit of golf with the boys. I'm not too steady! I think it frustrates people because I don't hit the ball far but I hit it straight! I like music and I've got a young family - not that they'd really like to be called young - my son's nine, my daughter's just about to turn 14 and my eldest daughter's up at university in Aberdeen. So I enjoy spending time with them. And the wee fella - who I call Nugget - comes on the golf course with me. The middle one's called Giraffe because she's tall and leggy - and she plays a good round of golf too. But to be honest, with the amount of time this job takes up, you don't get that much free time. That's one of my wife and family's main criticisms - not seeing dad as much as they'd like to. It must be hard on them? It is and I try to make it up to them during the summer. We try and go away for a long period and I turn the phone off. That didn't happen this year though - we went away and the phone was on so for the first eight days of the holiday it was work work work but if you want to achieve something in life, they understand the sacrifices I've got to make. They respect that and understand it. What music do you like? It's very mixed. Some people would be surprised to know it's classical. I love Vivaldi. My daughter's quite a talented opera singer so I love to listen to her singing at school. And I'm a big fan of Simon and Garfunkel. As for modern day stuff, I have to say that listening to someone scratching a nail in a disc and battering a dustbin lid off the wall which is acoustically remixed to sound like something, well I just look upon it as garbage. I'm sorry to offend any of the younger ones but I think it's crap. You probably have to listen to a lot of it in the dressing room. Well it's funny. In our day it was all 'yeah yeah' and music that got you going but obviously this new stuff gets the lads going and I'm 50 next month so I must be getting to that age. My mum and dad thought the Beatles were outrageous and out of order so maybe I'm just going through that phase that they went through! But modern day music just doesn't do it for me - I don't see the talent in it. When you see good people who have got the voice and can hold an audience - for example Rod Stewart, a big football fan who I've been priviledged enough to meet - and Frank Sinatra who I met backstage at a concert at Ibrox. It's music to listen to. What do you plan to do when you retire? My wife's always going on about that - which makes me feel old! I'll look at that once I've taken this club to the Premiership. But is that something you can see happening soon? Well Alex Ferguson must have had a dream when he went to Man Utd, similar to Shankly when he went to Liverpool. Well I'm not in their league but in my own way I'm passionate about what I want to achieve, I think it's realistic. Interview with BBC Radio Derby's Charles Collins | 
