‘Can score goals at a high rate’: Wanderers sign international forward Théo Collomb

The Halifax Wanderers have signed French forward Théo Collomb to a contract through the 2023 CPL season with a club option for 2024.

Collomb, 22, was a 2022 MLS SuperDraft pick by the Vancouver Whitecaps and spent the past season with Whitecaps FC 2. 

“Théo is a highly technical player that can score goals at a high rate with an ability to stretch the game and play between the lines,” Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar said. “He will enhance our style of play, and his ambition will challenge everyone daily.”

A standout player in the NCAA for the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Collomb scored a combined 23 goals over 31 games to go along with eight assists. In his final season, Collomb was second in the nation in scoring and led his conference with 15 goals over 17 games. He was named the 2021 Southern Conference Player of the Year and picked for the United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team. 

“I’m so excited about this project in Halifax. When it comes to signing, it’s all about feelings, and I had a great feeling about the Wanderers and the coaching staff,” Collomb said. “The club has great ambitions, which is exactly what I was looking for.”

 Collomb’s play in the NCAA led to an invite to the MLS Combine and a selection by the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2022 MLS Super Draft. He spent the season with Whitecaps FC 2, playing alongside fellow Wanderer Cristian Campagna. An injury and rotation of strikers limited his playing time to just nine appearances in Vancouver, but Collomb has fully recovered ahead of the Wanderers’ pre-season. 

“I’ve heard only great things about the city from Cristian, everyone says it’s the best fan base in the CPL, and I’m excited to meet our fans and fight for them on the pitch,” he said. “I love to fight out there and get into the box for goals. I can assure our fans that I always give my all on the pitch.” 

From Clermont, France, Collomb joined his local professional team, Clermont Foot 63, at the U-16 level in 2015. In 2018, he made the jump to Clermont’s second team and scored nine goals in 30 appearances before COVID restrictions cut short his impending move into the first team. In 2020, Collomb was recruited to UNCG after standout performances at NCAA and MLS trials held at France’s prestigious National Training Centre at Clairefontaine. Along with his new teammate, Lorenzo Callegari, Collomb is the second Wanderers player to sign from France and develop at a club currently playing in Ligue 1.