Clint Dempsey: What Dempsey to Liverpool Would Mean for American Soccer

While Liverpool certainly needs current Fulham star Clint Dempsey, Americans need Dempsey to join the Reds' side just as badly.

If Dempsey were to join Liverpool and put forth the Premier League success he has displayed with Fulham, it would do wonders for American soccer. 

Fortunately for Americans, it at least sounds like a deal is possible (via goal.com):

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Hours after the Craven Cottage side adamant denied having any talks over the future of star forward Clint Dempsey, Liverpool FC released an interview on its site confirming the contrary. 

Reds head coach Brendan Rodgers revealed that both parties have indeed discussed the possibility of a transfer for the 29-year-old American midfielder. 

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Plenty of American soccer players have shown they can have success at the European club level. Heck, Dempsey is coming off a marvelous 17-goal season with Fulham.

But the problem is, most common American sports fans have no clue what's going on outside of the states, let alone at a middle-of-the-pack Premier League club like Fulham. 

They only know about the elite clubs, and the only two Americans who have played for the elite-even-Americans-know-about-that-club have been poor experiments.

In 2003, goalkeeper Tim Howard headed overseas to Manchester United. The American started off well, but a mistake in 2004 eliminated the Red Devils from the Champions League. Howard was never the same and was eventually sold to Everton in 2006.

Defender Oguchi Onyewu signed with A.C. Milan, but never played a league game there due to a nasty knee injury.

But if Clint Dempsey, America's best soccer player (sorry, Landon Donovan), could rewrite history and become a major force at a historically famous club, it would do wonders for soccer in the United States.

It would make top European clubs less gun-shy about taking on the best American players. It would give younger U.S. stars a chance to shine on a higher level. Most importantly, it would open the eyes of American fans who assume all their best players are in the MLS. 

Even the most common fans know what Liverpool is. If Clint Dempsey gets his shot at Anfield, all of America will be watching.

That's a good thing. 

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