Clint Dempsey: 10 Facts You May Not Know About the USMNT Star

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Has there ever been more hype around an American playing in England than right now?

Clint Dempsey has been on an absolute tear the last couple of months and is currently tied for seventh in the Premier League in scoring, the highest a USMNT player has ever been ranked. He has all the swagger, all the skills and all the entertaining characteristics that keep USMNT and Fulham fans alike begging to see more.

While you may feel like you know Dempsey better now than you did four months ago, I highly suggest you click through this slideshow and find out some underground facts about the star forward.

You never know when your going to need them! Enjoy!

The Origins of Clint Dempsey

1. Dempsey was born and raised in a trailer park in Nacogdoches, Texas, playing soccer anywhere he could find a field. Due to financial problems, Dempsey was forced to quit his youth club at an early age, but economic assist from friends allowed him to rejoin the club and continue his dream of playing soccer. 

2. The 2002 All-American midfielder helped lead Furman to two SOCON titles in his three collegiate years. However, despite being selected in the first round of the 2004 MLS Superdraft, Dempsey holds no conference or school records from his collegiate years. 

3. Dempsey’s youth career included a three-year tenure with prestigious club Dallas Texans SC. He was one of the first of many big Southwestern stars to go through the club, including Brek Shea, Omar Gonzalez and Lee Nguyen. 

Mr. Tough Guy

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4. We all know that Clint Dempsey is a hard-nosed character. How tough you may ask? Demps played two matches in 2004 with a broken jaw. Hard-nosed is an understatement.

5. If USMNT fans could pick one national team player who they would not want to get into a fight with, the most common option would likely be Dempsey. Joe Franchino probably would share the same response. Dempsey was suspended two weeks by the New England Revolution after a fist-fight with Franchino back in March 2006. 

6. Dempsey’s absolute wondergoal in the Europa League against Juventus was scored while he was still recovering from knee damage suffered in a previous match. His status was listed as “questionable” before the game. Lucilyy for Fulham, he found a way to fight through the pain. 

The Record-Breaking American

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7. Dempsey’s three-million pound transfer from the MLS to Fulham in 2007 was the highest ever for an outfield player from the domestic league. Only Maurice Edu and Jozy Altidore have brought in more money for a player departure.

8. Clint Dempsey became the first US player ever to score a hat trick in a Premier League game during Fulham’s 5-2 rout over Newcastle last week. It was his second hat trick of the month as the Texan also hit the back of the net three times in an FA Cup match vs Charlton. 

9. Dempsey has scored more goals than any other Fulham player since the 2010 World Cup and is currently the all-time leading Premier League goalscorer from the US (42 goals). 

Deuce Can Do More Than Just Play Football

10. For those who haven’t seen Dempsey spit some lines, I highly suggest you take the time to watch the video directly to the left. The clever Texan is clearly not only talented on the soccer field, but in the studio as well. Deuce’s 2006 USMNT promo rap “Don’t Tread” is closing in on 1.5 million views and is still a consistent banger on my Ipod. 

Congratulations! You are now officially a Clint Dempsey expert! Now, go off and show off your knowledge to all those who think they know the USMNT star.