Collins John

Club

John started his professional career at Dutch first division side FC Twente as a 17-year-old, going on to score 11 league goals during one and a half seasons combined. He was signed by Fulham on 31 January 2004, cited by manager Chris Coleman as a way to expand attacking options in the future. He signed for a fee thought to be in the region of £600,000 where he was introduced at Loftus Road by John Collins, his reverse namesake. His debut for the club came as a substitute for Mark Pembridge against Chelsea in a 2–1 defeat at Stamford Bridge on 20 March. He then scored two goals in each of his next two games against Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers. Following an auspicious start, John scored 11 league goals in 2005–06, despite only starting 15 of the 37 in which he appeared. With a further two goals in other competitions, he was Fulham's top goalscorer that season. A goal against Middlesbrough on 20 November 2005, a volley from his weaker foot, was later to be named "Goal of the Month" by the BBC, and was in the running for "Goal of the Season". John started six of the first seven Premiership games of 2006–07, but then lost his place and started only three more times in 2006. Coming on as a second-half substitute, and having had two goals disallowed earlier in the match, he scored his twentieth league goal at Manchester City, in November 2006. John signed for Leicester City on 23 October 2007 on a three-month loan deal. He made his debut in a 1–0 defeat to…

John was born in Zwedru, Liberia, but his family emigrated to the Netherlands after the murder of his father, during the Liberian Civil War. His two brothers Paddy and Ola are also footballers.

Netherlands U21

UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2006