In celebration of the impact of our latest American import Robbie Findley a new episode in this series of looking at our various connections with those countries.
John Harkes
Signed on loan in the last Premier League relegation season by Ron Atkinson,in a glut of other loan signings. Atkinson of course had managed him at Wednesday and shipped him back over from the States where he was playing with D.C. United. He only played three games, most notably the 8-1 defeat against Manchester United. He left to rejoin MLS with New England Revolution.
Harkes is somewhat of a legend in the States, the first American to play in the Premier League,and a mainstay of their midfield for much of the 90's. He also unfortunately played for a while for that mob down the A52. He now works as a commentator.
Ben Olsen
We have already done a big feature of Ben Olsen before, a loan signing in the David Platt era that would arguably have gone on to be signed up full time by the club had he not badly broken his ankle. Olsen was a winger who was greatly impressing before that injury. That and subsequent injuries somewhat slowed his game down so that he had to move more infield in later years. He played the rest of his career before and after Forest for D.C. United,and I know from American posters on the forum here at 24-7 that he was very well regarded by all.
A club legend he is now coach of D.C United. He played 18 times for Forest scoring twice.
Stern John
Although Trinidadian, we signed him from MLS club Columbus Crew, also in the David Platt era. Signed for £1.5 mill he took time to settle at the club. When he finally did start firing, the club were in such a poor financial position that we simply had to cut our losses and sell him for a pittance £100k) because he was about to trigger a clause which would have seen us shelling out £250k which we could not afford. John became a journeyman striker,taking in loss than 8 other clubs in around the Championship. We is now back playing in Trinidad and Tobago for Northern Stars.
Ian Woan
Woan in his later days of his career after he left Swindon (his next club after Forest) played in MLS and the A League. Being married to an American made his signature easier then most imports. HE barely played for Columbus Crew and Miami Fusion before spending 2 years with the fantastically named Syracuse Saltydogs,who now appear to be defunct. He is now assistant to Sean Dyche at Watford,after a spell as Assistant at Portsmouth.
Brad Friedel
What could have been really. We had a deal to sign a young Brad Friedel up during Brian Cloughs last season. However he was denied a work permit, and had to return to the States. He has of course later spent most of his career playing at the very top level of English football, after spells in Turkey and back in the MLS. He has played for Liverpool, Aston Villa, Blackburn and now of course Tottenham.
Robert Rosario
Yes, one of the most maligned Forest play rs ever had aspellin the US, after the injury that ended his Forest career forced him to look for Amateur tearoleshe ended up playing for two A League teams in Carolina Dynamo and Charleston Battery (where he had an appalling scoring record.) Rosario will always be remembered for scoring goal of the season for Norwich.
Junior Agogo
In his early career Agogo sent a few years in the MLS for Chicago Fire, Colorado Rapids and San Jose Earthquakes. He had an OK record in MLS, which saw him move back to England with QPR, before ending up at Bristol City and then Forest. After Forest Agogo's career has nose dived. A disastrous spell with Zamalek in Eqypt, a mixed spell in Cyprus, and now playing for Hibernian in Scotland under old manager Colin Calderwood.
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