The Colorado Rapids announced today the signing of three international players: Cameroonian midfielder Alain Nkong, English midfielder Terry Cooke and Jamaican forward Wolde Harris. Nkong and Cooke, who are awaiting their visa approval from the U.S. government, will count as senior internationals for the Black and Blue, while Harris, a green card holder, will count as a domestic player for the team. Details of the multi-year contracts of all three senior roster players were not made public.
Nkong, 26, has played for several clubs around the world, such as Las Palmas in Spain, Nacional in Uruguay and Ferreira in Portugal. The experienced midfielder has also represented his country when playing with the Cameroon National Team during the 2002 World Cup Qualifiers. He was also a starter on the Cameroon Olympic Team that qualified for the Sydney competition, but did not play in the Olympic contest due to commitments with his club at the time. Nkong was awarded the African Championship trophy with the Cameroon Under-23 National Team and also played for their Under-20 and Under-17 national sides.
Cooke, who comes to the Rapids after spending two years with English Second Division team Sheffield Wednesday, developed his first soccer steps with the world-renowned Manchester United system, the same team that saw him make his debut at a professional level. During his second year within the Red Devils, Cooke was awarded the team's Young Player of the Year Award from the hands of Sir Alex Ferguson himself. Cooke, a traditional old-fashioned winger, is at his best when running at defenders and supplying crosses into the opposition's penalty box. While with Manchester City, he won back-to-back promotions to the EPL under the management of Joe Royle playing along side of greats like Ian Bishop. Nicknamed Cookie, the 29-year old has made several appearances for the England Under-21 national team and was part of the U-18 side which competed in the European Championship and the U-16 team.
Harris, a former Rapids player, returns to Colorado after a five year hiatus during which he played for the New England Revolution and the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer, as well as a successful 2004 season with Boden BK in Sweden's Superettan Division. The former Jamaican international scored the winning goal for the Swedish club that saved the franchise from being relegated to the Second Division during their last game of the season. The 5-10 striker lands in Colorado for the second time after the Rapids traded a fourth round draft pick in the 2007 Major League Soccer Supplemental draft to Kansas City for his rights. The Kingston, Jamaica native is the second best single season goal scorer in Rapids history, with 13 goals netted in 1998 for the Rapids, just one short of the 14 goals scored by retired striker John Spencer in 2001 and 2003. Harris has netted a total of 50 goals and recorded 31 assists during his seven year MLS career.
