Marcus Haber returns to Whitecaps on loan

Vancouver Whitecaps' Marcus Haber, left, is tackled by Montreal Impact's Stephen deRoux during first half action in game one of the USL First Division soccer final in Burnaby, B.C., on Saturday October 10, 2009. The championship will be decided over two games with the teams playing game two on October 17 in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

The reigning rookie of the year, Marcus Haber, is on his way home to re-join the Vancouver Whitecaps after being loaned from the English Football League Championship club West Bromwich Albion.

Pending international clearance and league approval, the 21-year-old striker will be available to the Whitecaps for up to 14 matches, including all four of the Vancovuer's Nutrilite Canadian championship games, before a scheduled return to West Brom on June 15.

The Whitecaps transferred the striker after a successful rookie season to West Brom for an undisclosed amount during the January transfer window. While with West Brom, the Vancouver-native scored one goal in four appearances with the West Midlands club's reserve side and spent a month on loan to Exeter City of the English League One.

In 2009, Haber had eight goals and four helps for 20 points in 30 United Soccer League First Division regular season matches. He also scored three goals in six playoff games and notched a marker during last season's Nutrilite Canadian Championship.

Haber is set to return to Vancouver tonight and will take part in the club's final training session tomorrow before Sunday's regular season opener against NSC Minnesota Stars at Swangard Stadium. Haber will not be available for Teitur Thordarson's side on Sunday.

Whitecaps sign centre back Mouloud Akloul

The Vancouver Whitecaps announced they have signed centre back Mouloud Aklouol pending international clearance and league approval.

Akloul joins the Whitecaps following a season in the United Arab Emirates with Al-Ittihad Kalba of the UAE Football League Division 1. The 27-year-old defender started 27 of his 31 appearances for Al-Ittihad Kalba, scoring three goals in the 2008-09 season.

Prior to his season in the Middle East, Akloul, the native of Lorient, France, played two season in Algeria's top-flight Championnat National with Jeunesse Sportive de Kabylie in 2006-07 and Mouloudia Olympique de Béjaïa. With MOB, the centre back won the league's defender of the year award.

Before playing in North Africa, Aklouol spent six seasons in France. Akloul started his career with FC Lorient Bretagne Sud. From 2001 to 2004, the defender appeared for Lorient's reserve team before moving to Vannes Olympique Club, where he helped them to promotion from the fourth-tier Championnat de France Amateur in 2004-05. In his second year with Vannes OC, Akloul scored two goals in 27 appearances during the 2005-06 season of the French third-division Championnat National.