Great profile of Clint Dempsey by Paul Doyle in today’s Observer.
I’ve written about his tough upbringing before, but there are a few another interesting observations in there. Reading about the start to his career over here, I’m reminded of just how long Dempsey had to wait for a regular spot in the first team. Coleman bought him and seemed reluctant to start him, whilst he was often a substitute under Sanchez before having to earn a place in Hodgson’s side.
A couple of statistics underline his importance to Fulham:
- Over the past three seasons Dempsey, playing mainly in midfield, has scored more Premier League goals, 19, than any other Fulham player
- This season he has made more tackles than all other Premier League forwards bar two (Bolton’s Kevin Davies and Birmingham’s James McFaadden)
That second stat is a legacy of the improved defensive work that was essential if he was to win Hodgson’s trust.
Just to be clear, he was drafted out of his college, Furman, and not the Dallas Longhorns.
Yeah, I’m surprised they didn’t mention his 3 years at Furman. That’s really where he made a name for himself, then got drafted by New England Revolution.