New goal for American dream boy

If at first you do not succeed, then try and try again: Such is Everton's motto where American strikers are concerned. No sooner had Joe-Max Moore packed his bags and headed home, than his fellow countryman Brian McBride was on Merseyside to take his place. Quite literally, in this case, as McBride has been given Moore's non-EU work permit as well as his one-time job at the point of the Blues attack.

All that remains to complete the perfect straight swap is for McBride to replicate the stunning impact Moore made when he signed for Everton exactly three years ago. Having put pen to paper in January 2000, Moore embarked on the sort of run that the goal-shy club desperately need again. Back then, Moore's six strikes in seven matches gave Everton breathing space in their fight for relegation. Today, McBride's instincts are needed just as acutely, but this time to sustain the push for European football.

Different ambitions, same objective. "I'm here to help Everton by scoring goals," explains McBride, who is on loan from Columbus Crew until the end of the season. "I'd love to have a start like Joe-Max had, but I'm realistic. Joe-Max told me a lot about Everton in the summer at the World Cup and I tried to call him as soon as I found out that I was going to come over, but I haven't been able to get hold of him."

Had he reached Moore, McBride would have been told that Everton are a club going places again, but in need of fresh firepower. "This is already a very good side with a lot of experience," McBride suggests, "but I feel I can bring depth to the squad. I can help us attack and defend, but also provide an outlet for the team and get myself in the box." It is predominantly for the latter skill that McBride has been signed.

Everton were worryingly toothless up front against lowly Shrewsbury during their FA Cup third-round exit last weekend, and generally lack any real aerial presence in attack. With Duncan Ferguson's career in terminal decline, the Blues have been relying on the experience of Kevin Campbell, the pace of Tomasz Radzinski, and the raw, precocious talent of Wayne Rooney. With their latest signing, they finally have a genuine alternative.

"We're delighted to have Brian," says the Everton manager, David Moyes, "because he'll give us an attacking presence. He's a good, very mobile centre-forward, particularly in the air. He's also a great lad to have around the place."

According to Kasey Keller, the USA goalkeeper, Everton have signed not only a solid striker but also an American icon. McBride was the first selection in the inaugural Major League draft in 1996, and is so admired in his homeland that he was honoured with the John C Wray award for outstanding accomplishments in sports outside baseball.

"He is a dangerous player and a very good athlete," says the Tottenham player who may face his compatriot at White Hart Lane this afternoon if Campbell fails a fitness test. "I am very pleased for him and I think he'll do well. For me in goal he is always a great target man, someone you can look out for. He is always the first line of defence as well. He is very good in the air and physically very strong and will do well in the Premiership."

There is no reason why the 30-year-old international cannot have a big impact on Moyes' team. Unlike Moore, McBride is a physical player who has already proved that he can cope with the demands of English football. He showed his adaptability when he played for Moyes' old side Preston 11 times during the 2000-01 season, a loan spell cut short because of a blood clot under the armpit.

"A lot of times, the hardest part is getting used to a different type of football," says the man nicknamed Bake, after the former baseball star Bake McBride, "but my previous spell will help me readjust to the English game."

Settling down will be facilitated by the presence of his former manager. "I really enjoy working with David," McBride says. "He is someone who will speak his mind, and for me that's always a good thing. I'm a player who can take the good and the bad."

McBride is particularly excited about the prospect of playing alongside you know who. "I can't wait to partner Wayne Rooney," he says. He will have to wait, though, as The Kid begins a four-match suspension. "Wayne's got a great first touch and he's a very exciting player. To be honest, it's been fun training alongside everybody. There's a really good team spirit here. That goes a long way."

McBride should know. He was part of the US team that reached the quarter-finals of last summer's World Cup. Unfancied before the tournament started, they did well just to qualify from their group. Defeats of Poland and one of the favourites, Portugal, were followed by a second-round success over Mexico, before the eventual finalists, Germany, ended the American dream.

"That was a bad day," concedes the man who scored America's only goal at France 98 and added two more strikes in Asia, "but there will be plenty of good times ahead with Everton."

And should McBride's wish come true, then who knows, perhaps the club will copy Saint Louis University by retiring his shirt. "It's a nice thought," he smiles, "but I'd just settle for being recognised by the fans come the end of the season."