John Collins or Collins John?

Leo Spall14 April 2012

When Collins John says he wants to make a name for himself, he isn't joking.

Fulham's new striker explains he does not want to be known as the next Patrick Kluivert or Sylvain Wiltord because of similarities in his playing style. But making a big enough impression for people to be able to place him without thinking of the club's former midfielder John Collins might be more of an achievement.

The 18-year-old has not quite grasped the fact that until he gets a chance to show people his exciting potential, he will be known as the striker whose name reminds everyone of the former Scottish international - in reverse.

Collins John's arrival has already sparked jokes about Coleman Chris and Knight Zat and his introduction to the Fulham fans after signing from Dutch side FC Twente at the end of the transfer window cannot have helped.

He was led out into the middle of the Loftus Road pitch alongside Collins for a bizarre photo opportunity.

The striker said: 'I had heard the name John Collins of course because I have studied football. They introduced him and then me and I thought that was very funny.'

It will probably wear off when most of his mail comes through addressed to the wrong person.

The Scot, however, saw the funny side to the link. Collins was visiting old friends at Fulham and said: 'I met him in the tunnel and thought people were taking the Michael.' Or John.

But the connection is completely coincidental. The Liberian-born striker, who has already been nicknamed CJ by some, said: 'I had my family name and my mother just thought Collins was nice. I was not named after anybody.

'It is an English name and I have brothers called Paddy and Ola, my sister is Fate, and my mother Esther.'

John has not been able to make more than a superficial first impression at Fulham because he arrived with a minor ankle injury. But he has already made his mark on Dutch football, where he was rated one of the country's brightest talents after impressing at junior levels and Under-23s.

Fulham manager Chris Coleman, whose side play at Wolves tomorrow, wants to use him sparingly.

But after impressing in training this week John's debut cannot be far away.

'I know England is difficult and there might be more long balls and very hard tackles but I think I will love it,' he said. 'Nobody in Holland would believe I was only 18 years old because I am quite big, strong and fast and I like tough football. Let the supporters and everybody see what I can do.'

Such self-confidence should stand John in good stead in the Premiership as Fulham search for a Louis Saha replacement.

It comes partly from scoring nine goals in Holland this season, but also because of his ability to reach the heights he has after a hugely difficult childhood.

John was brought up in a town near the Liberian capital of Monrovia at the heart of the civil war which has torn the country apart. His father was killed in the fighting in 1991 and the family fled to become refugees in Holland.

John was only eight when he made the traumatic boat journey to Rotterdam and then spent two years in a government centre while their claim was processed. He finds it hard to talk about his father even now. But if he had stayed in Liberia, he would have been forced to join the civil war.

John considers himself Dutch and said: 'There was a war and everybody moved around all over the country. We lost touch with my dad and heard from our family that he had died.

'If I had been in Liberia when I was 12 or 13 years old, I would have had to join the army too. You have no choice.

'My mother has told me about it, but not everything. It is important for me but I told her I knew my father was not alive and to leave it. If I think about it too much it might not be good for me.'

John instead has pledged to become a success for his family. He said that when he scores his first goal for Fulham he will dedicate it to his past with a message underneath his club shirt.

There is no doubt that he is doing things the hard way. Even now he is having to learn to live in a foreign country again, but this time without the help of his mother. If he can reverse the name of an old Fulham favourite in the minds of the club's fans, he will have earned it.

Fulham will be without Lee Clark (Achilles), Facundo Sava (calf) and Jerome Bonnissel (ankle), who is expected to miss the rest of the season.

Wolves have no new injury worries, with Shaun Newton (ankle) and Paul Ince (suspension) set to return.

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