Scoring two goals in the franchise’s debut in Houston and leading the Dynamo to two MLS Cup titles long ago helped make striker Brian Ching a soccer icon in the city.

Now, a trade that returned him there Thursday will assure that the Kamehameha Schools graduate finishes his career with the Dynamo, for whom he remains the all-time scoring leader.

The 33-year-old Haleiwa native was traded by the Montreal Impact for a conditional second-round draft pick in 2013.

“I’m extremely happy to be back here in Houston,” Ching told the Star-Advertiser. “I always wanted to be on a franchise that played in its own (soccer-specific) stadium. And now I’m looking forward to doing that in the new stadium. It will be like a dream come true.”

Houston’s downtown BBVA Compass Stadium is scheduled to open in May as the only soccer-specific stadium in the MLS.

“I am very happy to have Brian back with the team,” Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear said on the team website. “This is a very important year for the Dynamo, and if anyone deserves to be involved with the team, it’s Brian.”

Ching was taken by Montreal in the November expansion draft and the two teams have been working on a trade for months. As part of the deal, Ching agreed to restructure his reported $450,000 contract.

“It shows what type of person and leader he is,” Dynamo president Chris Canetti said on the team’s website. “It shows he was willing to put the big picture ahead of himself.”

A Dynamo spokesman said Ching, a former U. S. National Team and World Cup member, has been promised a front-office position when he retires.