NEWPORT-BORN Premier League star James Collins has issued an apology after becoming embroiled in a nightclub brawl just days before his club Aston Villa's biggest game of the season.

Wales international Collins and his Villa teammates Chris Herd and Fabian Delph were threatened with the police when trouble flared outside Birmingham’s Gatecrasher venue at around 2.45am on Tuesday.

All three have apologised to the fans for their behaviour and the club have fined them with the proceeds going to charity.

Villa take on Tottenham on Saturday as they desperately try to avoid being dragged into the Premier League relegation zone.

It is the second time in just over a year that Collins has been fined for drunken misbehaviour.

He and Villa captain Richard Dunne were involved in a bust-up with the club's backroom staff at a posh spa resort in March last year.

On that occasion tempers flared at the end of a two-day team bonding exercise at the exclusive Champneys Springs resort in rural Leicestershire.

Tensions rose after a day of paintballing when a verbal disagreement about coaching and tactics got out of hand.

"Two players who were p*****d up had, let’s say, a frank exchange of views," said a source. "There was an open bar which had been agreed by (then manager) Gerard Houllier.

"They were having a bit of a go at the backroom boys. There was a disagreement with members of the coaching staff and both players have had to apologise."