Friedel will be 39 in May but his powers so show no signs of diminishing; he produced crucial late saves to deny Newcastle an equaliser in Sunday's 1-0 win which pushed Villa five points clear of the bottom three.
Friedel has already held talks with Villa over a new contract with his current deal running out this summer.
Collins told Press Association Sport: "Since I came to the club, Brad has been unbelievable week in and week out. He is such a good professional in the way he handles himself off the pitch and he is in the gym every day still at nearly 40.
"He is a credit to himself and his professional and his professionalism is second to none. I think I will retire before him the way he is going and I'm only 27! He is a world-class keeper and can go on playing.
"When he is called upon, if he has made 100 saves or no saves in a game, you can always rely on him. He has been doing the same thing for years and years in the Premier League."
Source: PA
Source: PA