[MLS] The Chicago Fire has signed Mexican international Nery Castillo as a Designated Player on loan from Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk.

Castillo has played 21 games for Mexico but was not part of its 2010 World Cup team.

Castillo, 26, was born in Mexico to a Uruguayan soccer player and raised in Uruguay. He moved to Greek club Olympiakos at the age of 16 and helped it win three straight league titles.

But since his move to Shakhtar for $25 million in 2007, his career has gone downhill.

He's also had loan moves to Manchester City and Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, another Ukrainian team.

He was outstanding for Mexico with four goals at the 2007 Copa America but has scored only one goal for the Tri since.

Wide midfield is one option for Castillo, and though Chicago is stocked in those spots with Justin Mapp and Marco Pappa, Castillo’s pace and nose for goal will have to be utilized somewhere.

Coach Carlos de los Cobos has stated Castillo will play as a forward with the Fire, paired either with Brian McBride or Collins John.

Castillo’s name is added to a list of more than a dozen Mexican internationals to try their luck in MLS. Keeper Jorge Campos and midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco were perhaps the most successful at drawing fans and helping their teams win. Luis Hernandez, Carlos Hermosillo, Ramon Ramirez and Claudio Suarez were solid performers if not outstanding. Duilio Davino and Luis Angel Landin were unmitigated disappointments.