Tryout complete, Fire signs speedy Dutch striker John

After more than a month-long tryout, the Chicago Fire is ready to reunite the Fulham firing line.

The Fire has signed 24-year old Dutch forward Collins John, a former former Fulham striker and teammate of Fire star Brian McBride.

As Daily Herald soccer writer Orrin Schwarz wrote last month, John brings with him from Europe a history of both success and failure that is at once tantalizing and worrying -- but mostly tantalizing.

While playing with McBride at Fulham, John was dazzling, scoring 20 goals in 95 matches in the English Premiership from 2004-07.

"He's played at a high level when he was younger," Fire technical director Frank Klopas said of the Liberia-born John. "He's got good feet, and obviously growing up in Holland they really work on the technical side. -

"You don't play at a high level like that by luck," Klopas added.

Since those high points, however, John left Fulham and drifted through a few clubs, most recently KSV Rosalare in Belgium.

John "has the pace, strength and ability to get behind defenders or beat people off the dribble," Klopas told the Daily Herald. "He's a guy you've got to be aware of because at any time he can strike."

Terms of his contract with the Fire were not disclosed.

"We believe he will be a good fit to the attacking style we will play this season," Klopas said in a statement released Friday.

John began his professional career in 2002 at age 17 with Eredivisie side FC Twente. Appearing in 35 matches for the Dutch side, John tallied 11 goals over an 18 month span before being sold to Fulham FC in January of 2004.

John had the best season of his career in 2004-05, appearing in 35 of 38 Premiership matches and leading the club with 11 goals on the season.