Fulham forward Collins John is preparing to return to Holland and join NEC on a free transfer – provided that he passes a medical.

The Dutch striker was considered surplus to requirements at Craven Cottage and was given permission to discuss a move away from Fulham by Roy Hodgson. John, who spent time on loan at Watford and Leicester in recent years, had reportedly been close to joining Crystal Palace but the Eagles cooled their interest after having doubts about his match fitness.

John, who has won two senior caps for his country, made a blistering start to life at Fulham having signed for a fee of around £600,000 from FC Twente in January 2004. He made his debut as a substitute at Chelsea and scored four goals in eight appearances – including a brilliant brace at Leicester – before topping the club’s goalscoring charts in 2005/06. The Liberian-born striker struggled to nail down a first-team place once Chris Coleman left the club and made just three first-team appearances last season. The 22 year-old scored 25 goals in 108 appearances during his time at Fulham.