"I am not cold hearted, but life goes on," he said. "It's not the first time something like this has happened to me, and numerous other players, and I am sure it won't be the last. We as football players are playing for ourselves, our team-mates, our family and the football club. We are all contracted to Hibernian Football Club - we are no t contracted to John Collins."

Jones pointed out that assistant boss Tommy Craig was often the more dominant presence on the training ground in any case, with Collins preferring to observe his players at work rather than direct them.

"Tommy took most of the training," Jones stated. "The atmosphere in the dressing room has not changed - the only things that have changed are the manager's face and the manager's voice."