Collins is currently out of action because of a six-match

In a frank interview with BBC Sport, Collins revealed that he has apologised on two occasions to referee Alan Black.

"Putting your hands on a referee is not on," said Collins.

The father-of-three believes that a number of opposing managers instruct their players to target him, in the hope that they will get him sent off.

"Players have told me that managers have said:'Just go out and get Collins. Make it one less player to worry about'."

Collins acknowledged that he can't be certain that he won't fall foul of the football authorities in the future despite the severity of his current ban.

"I can't promise that. I don't know what is going to happen to me out on the pitch and how I'm going to react.

"I look about and I see players making the same tackles that I would make and nothing happens. If that was me, I would be sent off or getting yellow cards. It's hard to take."

I lifted my hands to a ref. It's unacceptable Michael Collins

However, Collins is the first to admit that many of the bad-boy headlines which have dogged his career have been self-inflicted.

"I know I'm a hot-head. I'm no angel. I wind players up. They wind me back and sometimes I take it too far and I lose the rag but that's me."

Collins received his six-match ban for pushing referee Alan Black in the chest after being sent-off in a CIS Cup match at Shamrock Park on 11 August.

"I lifted my hands to a ref. It's unacceptable.

"I'm getting fined as well so the club took it in their hands that they are not going to accept that kind of behaviour.

"People think that I don't care when I get sent off and I do things on the pitch.

"But I'm a parent and kids pick up on that and you want want that kind of stuff in front of the kids."