Clint Dempsey: The Legend, The Icon of U.S. football | OneFootball

Clint Dempsey is a hero for the young footballers flourishing from USA. One of the greatest strikers in US soccer history, Clint Dempsey scored 57 goals in 141 caps for his country. ESPN, FOX Sports, and NBC Sports have each ranked Dempsey as the most remarkable men’s American soccer player in history.

During his career, he played in the Premier League for Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur and in Major League Soccer for New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders FC.

Last day, Dempsey earned a National Soccer Hall of Fame spot during his first year of eligibility, appearing on 97.9% of Player ballots. He was selected along with Shannon Boxx, Hope Solo, Marco Etcheverry, Linda Hamilton and Esse Baharmast.

Dempsey spent his youth career with the Dallas Texans before joining Furman University’s men’s soccer team in 2001. In 2004, Dempsey was drafted by the New England Revolution, where he scored 25 goals in 71 appearances. Between 2007 and 2012, Dempsey played for Fulham in the Premier League, eventually becoming the club’s leading Premier League goalscorer. Dempsey also became the first American player to score a hat-trick in the Premier League against Newcastle United in 2012.

In 2012, Tottenham Hotspur signed him for a fee of $9.6 million, then a record signing for an American. Dempsey scored 12 goals in one season with Tottenham, giving him 72 goals across all competitions for Premier League clubs, the most by an American in a top-tier European league. He was signed by the Seattle Sounders the following year and played 115 matches for the club, scoring 47 goals and leading the club to win the 2014 Supporters’ Shield.

He was a legendary player for the US National Team. In an international career that kicked off in 2004 and ran until 2017, Dempsey scored goals in the World Cup and Gold Cup, taking the captain’s armband towards the end of his playing days.

He is the nation’s fourth-most capped player and tying him with Landon Donovan as the all-time top scorer with 57 goals. He is not only the joint leader in international goals but also as the men’s team’s record holder in World Cup Qualifying caps (41) and joint leader in World Cup Qualifying goals with Jozy Altidore (18).

Dempsey has represented the United States at four CONCACAF Gold Cups, winning three. Helped them to the final of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and scored in each of the three FIFA World Cups he attended.

In 2018, following an incredible international and professional career, long-time U.S. Men’s National Team attacker Clint Dempsey announced his retirement from the game.