Born: Nacogdoches, Texas, United States, 9 March 1983
Position: Attacking midfielder/winger/forward
International caps: 141
International goals: 57
Signed: 11 January 2007 from New England Revolution (£1.5m); 24 December 2013 from Seattle Sounders (loan).
Fulham debut: Fulham 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur, 20 January 2007
Fulham appearances: 232
Fulham goals: 60
Honours: UEFA Europa League runners-up (2009/10)
Sold: 31 August 2012 to Tottenham Hotspur (£6m)
Texan native Clint Dempsey joined Fulham in January 2007 from the New England Revolution, becoming Major League Soccer’s most expensive export. He made his debut in the 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur and after, being utilised from the bench in most of his early appearances, secured Fulham’s Premier League place by scoring the winner against Liverpool in May 2007.
Dempsey had to fight for a regular place in Roy Hodgson’s starting line-up despite finishing the 2007-08 campaign as Fulham’s leading goalscorer and started just one of the first eleven league fixtures in the 2008-09 season. He made an impression as a substitute rescuing a point at Portsmouth before scoring against Middlesbrough and bagging a brace in a 2-2 draw against Chelsea at Craven Cottage. He again scored twice in the 3-1 win at Manchester City and finished the season as Fulham’s top scorer once again.
The American’s participation in the following season was disrupted by a cruciate knee ligament injury, but he returned to great effect to knock out Juventus with the famous chip into the Hammersmith End. He became the first American to feature in a European final as Fulham were heartbreakingly beaten at the end of extra time by Atletico Madrid but quickly became a regular in Mark Hughes’ side once the Welshman succeeded Hodgson, who left for Liverpool.
Dempsey scored thirteen goals in 42 appearances to surpass Brian McBride as the leading American goalscorer in English football and bettered that return during a sensational season under Martin Jol, when he hit 23 goals in 46 games – which included a hat-trick against Newcastle and saw him reach 50 Premier League goals with a free kick against Sunderland in Fulham’s last game of the season. He left Craven Cottage under a cloud after falling out with Jol, moving to Tottenham for just £6m in August 2012, but returned for an underwhelming loan spell ahead of the 2014 World Cup.
Dempsey finished his playing career with the Seattle Sounders back in the MLS and is now a popular pundit on US television.
