Chicago Daily Southtown, IL
Aug 24 2005

One on one with … the Fire’s John Thorrington

Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Palos Verdes, Calif.

2005 stats: Thorrington had been battling a hamstring injury for much
of the season, but has started the Fire’s last two games and scored
his first goal Aug. 13 against Los Angeles.

Bio: Thorrington, 25, has been playing pro soccer since he was 17
years old. He had played for three English clubs, including
Manchester United, and the German Bundesliga’s Bayern Munich before
signing with the Fire last offseason.

You’ve got kind of an international past, right?

I was born in South Africa and lived there for two years, but I don’t
really remember much of it. My parents both grew up there. Then, for
my dad’s work, he got moved to Los Angeles. I moved there when I was
2 and I grew up there ’til I was 17. Then I got the opportunity to go
to England when I was 17, I was there for two years, then Germany for
a year and since then I’ve been back here.

What’s it like traveling that much and seeing the world?

I think we are fortunate enough to do work where we get to see
different parts of the world and what have you, but it’s definitely
not leisure travel. There are quite a number of the places I’ve been
to that I’ve seen a stadium and then a practice facility, but it’s
been nice seeing other parts of the world. I come from a family with
international background, so it’s just a nice experience. I feel like
it kind of rounded me off as an individual.

What’s your international family background?

My dad’s English, born in England, grew up in South Africa. My mom’s
Armenian, born in Greece and grew up in South Africa. So it’s a
fairly diverse background.

The holidays must have been interesting then.

Like Christmas? Unfortunately, most of our extended family, or all of
it, is basically still in South Africa. It’s as diverse as it sounds,
but it’s nothing out of the ordinary. We don’t do any freakish
celebration or anything.

So how do you spend your free time?

I’m finishing up my degree I started in England, so I have two
classes left. That was partially a personal fulfillment thing and
also the fulfillment of a promise I made to my parents when I left.
Two classes and that’s pretty arduous work, so a lot of my time is
spent doing that.

What’s the degree in?

International studies. I guess that kind of was my destiny.

What would you be doing if you weren’t playing soccer?

In an ideal world I’d like to work for some – my dad’s involved with
a charity organization that is pretty in line with what I believe in
and what I think about how to make a difference in the world – stuff
like that. I’m looking into getting involved with that.

So you’re a do-gooder?

I’d like to think so, yeah. I’m no Mother Theresa, but I like to make
a difference where I can.