LIBERIAN
COURAGE
02/
New
signing Collins John on his move to
Fulham...
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The story of Collins John is
incredible reading for someone of
only 18. Fleeing war-torn Liberia by
boat with his mother, two brothers
and his sister, 8 year old Collins
and his family arrived in Holland as
refugees.
His father had been killed by
guerrillas leaving the family with
no alternative other than to fend
for themselves as they started out
in a new country. But despite the
harsh realities of his early years,
life for Collins and his family
certainly looks much, much brighter
as he looks to reap the rewards of a
career in the Premiership. A week or
so after putting pen to paper on a
four and a half year contract, we
sat down with the affable young
striker to find out a bit more about
him...
FIRST OF ALL, HOW DID THE MOVE TO
FULHAM COME ABOUT?
It all happened very quickly. About
three weeks ago my team in Holland,
FC Twente, played against Willem II.
I had a good game even though I was
playing out of position at right
midfield. We won 3-2 and I scored
the first goal, and afterwards my
manager said to me that Fulham had
been there looking at me.
Then, a couple of days later we
played again, this time against
Vitesse, and once again after the
game my manager said that Fulham
were there to watch. The next day he
gave me a ring and told me that
Fulham wanted me, and they wanted
the transfer to happen right away,
rather than in the summer.
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WERE ANY OTHER CLUBS INTERESTED IN
YOU?
Manchester City had wanted me for a
couple of months - I knew that.
And I also knew that Ajax and PSV
were interested, but I think that
was dependent on other strikers
moving on from those two clubs.
HAD YOU HEARD OF FULHAM?
Yeah, of course. I knew Tigana was
trainer here and I knew about
players like Saha - and Edwin van
der Sar and Bobby Petta because they
are Dutch.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE FULHAM OVER
MANCHESTER CITY?
I just had a good feeling about
Fulham. Manchester City are much
lower in the League and Fulham are
doing very well this season.
And also Edwin called me about two
or three times and told me about
Fulham and what a good club it was
and that really helped. It's good
that there are a couple of Dutch
players here - it's helped me settle
in.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR FORMER
CLUB, FC TWENTE...
Well they're sixth in the League. We
beat Feyenoord 4-2 earlier this
season, and we beat Ajax 3-2. I
played every game so far this
season, apart from the first three
games. But this wasn't my first
season - I played half of last
season too. But I'd been with the
Academy since I was 11.
WAS PLAYING IN THE PREMIERSHIP YOUR
AIM?
Of course! I like the football here,
I like the supporters - people are
football crazy in England! In
Holland people like football but
they like other sports too. Here in
England everyone is mad about
football.
When I've seen van Nistelrooy score,
the reaction from the fans is
amazing and I like that a lot. When
I was small I always used to watch
Match of the Day on TV, so I've
always wanted to play here. But I
think the first match will be very
difficult for me - it will take time
to adapt. But I know it took van
Nistelrooy time to adapt too because
I read his story when he first
signed for Manchester United. But
I'm not afraid. I know I can play
good football here.
AS A STRIKER, IN WHICH FORMATION DO
YOU FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE PLAYING?
Any formation - for me it's no
problem. Chris Coleman told me
recently that he watched me two
years ago - I didn't know that! And
at that time we played 4-3-3. But as
I said, it's not problem which
system I play in.
If he wants me to play in a 4-5-1 or
a 4-4-2 I can do that. I may need
time to get used to it, but for me
it's not a problem. In Holland I
played on the right because they had
another striker who was older and
more experienced than me, but I
still scored nine goals this season.
I can play where ever the coach asks
me to play.
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AND YOU'VE ALSO PLAYED FOR THE DUTCH
NATIONAL TEAM...
I played Under 15, Under 17, Under
19 and I've also played three games
for the Under 23's as well.
DO YOU HAVE AMBITIONS TO BREAK INTO
THE SENIOR TEAM?
Of course - everybody wants to play
at that level. But I don't set
myself any targets in terms of when
I have to do it. I need to take my
time and, if the trainer likes me,
earn my place.
YOUR NAME HAS CAUSED A BIT OF A STIR
AT FULHAM BEARING IN MIND JOHN
COLLINS ONLY LEFT US LAST SEASON...!
I know! And I met him at the Spurs
game - we had a chat about it. It's
pretty funny!
DO YOU HOPE TO BREAK INTO THE FULHAM
FIRST TEAM THIS SEASON?
Well I have a small injury now, so
I'm having treatment at the moment.
But I was watching training and it
just made me want to get out there
and play so much and show people
what I can do. But I have to be
patient. Chris said to me that those
who play well and work hard in
training will get in the team. So
it's up to me to prove myself.
YOU'VE HAD A TOUGH UPBRINGING - HAS
THAT HELPED YOU IN YOUR FOOTBALL
CAREER?
I had a hard life when I was small -
and in Holland everybody knows my
story. It's been hard because my
father was killed but maybe that's
made me stronger. When I scored my
first goal in Holland I had a T
shirt on under my shirt that said
"For My Father." It was fantastic -
50,000 people saw the T shirt and
after the game everyone was saying
they felt it with me. I think my dad
was watching me that day.
YOUR MUM MUST BE VERY PROUD OF
YOU...
Of course, yeah. She knows how hard
our life was, but she's very happy
for me now.
YOU'RE A DUTCH CITIZEN NOW BUT DO
YOU STILL FEEL ATTACHED TO LIBERIA?
Of course I do - it's my blood. I
was born there. But there is always
war going on there. If things get
better I'd like to go back because
it's still my country. But Holland
has been very good to me.
GEORGE WEAH IS LIBERIA'S MOST FAMOUS
PLAYER - IS HE A HERO OF YOURS?
He's a great, great player and he's
a god in Liberia - everybody looks
up to him. My role model is Kluivert
- I love his gentle, skilful style.
But many trainers have said that I
play more like Wiltord.
WHEN YOU WERE IN HOLLAND DID YOU
FOLLOW ANY PARTICULAR ENGLISH TEAM?
Not any one team - obviously
Manchester United and Arsenal
because of van Nistelrooy and
Bergkamp, but that's all. The great
thing about the Premiership is that
the big teams can get beaten -
Wolves beat Manchester United and
that was great. That doesn't ever
happen in Holland - when a smaller
team plays a big team a big team,
forget about it. The big team always
wins by big scores. That doesn't
happen here and that's something I
really like about the Premiership.
HOW DO YOU THINK HOLLAND WILL DO
THIS SUMMER?
I don't know, it's very hard to say.
Against Scotland in the first game
they played very badly, but in
Amsterdam they were amazing and I
don't understand that. I think it
depends how the team is mentally.
They have a great, great team on
paper, and if they are good mentally
they have a good chance.
WHAT ARE YOUR FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF
FULHAM?
It's all much bigger than at FC
Twente. And the people have all been
so friendly to me - Goma is a great
man. Lee Clark, Boa Morte, Inamoto -
they've all been so good to me.
Everybody is really friendly here
and I feel very comfortable. They
encourage me to be myself and that's
really important.
WILL YOUR FAMILY COME OVER HERE TO
JOIN YOU?
I don't think so - my two younger
bothers, who are 11 and 13, both
play for the Academy at FC Twente so
they have to stay there, and my
sister is at school. But my mother
will come and see me play my first
match I hope!
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