Nervous Season Awaits as Clint Dempsey Begins Life at Tottenham

After signing for Tottenham Hotspur last week, Clint Dempsey will only have one thing on his mind for the upcoming season: qualify for the Champions League.

That single achievement is pivotal for the 29-year old United States international to reach if he is to successfully silence his critics and prove that leaving Fulham, after five-and-a-half seasons, was truly worth it.

Dempsey has already done more in Europe than any other American player before him.

In the 2010-11 campaign, he surpassed Brian McBride’s total of nine goals in a Premier League season, and became the first US player to score 10 times in one season. He finished with 12 strikes from midfield, following two consecutive seasons with seven goals in the league.

All of that came one year after playing a key role in Fulham reaching the 2009-10 Europa League Final, in which Clint scored this absolute stunner against Juventus in the semifinal, and just prior to the Texas native’s record-breaking 2011-12 campaign.

At the time, Dempsey had already firmly been established as a fan favorite and was arguably the most explosive and reliable attacking player at Fulham. So, with two years remaining on his contract, it always seemed like last season would be one of the most important for both the player and the club if they were to retain his services.

However, with 23 goals in the league—a record for the American and the club—and six more in cup competitions, finishing ninth place after several other seasons of mid-table comfort would no longer be enough to satisfy the highly ambitious Dempsey.

Almost immediately after receiving his second consecutive Player of the Season award at Fulham, rumors started to circulate about the attacking midfielder and possible moves to bigger EPL clubs.

The most popular link, which resulted in several complaints by club manager Martin Jol, was with Liverpool, a team looking to rebuild following three seasons without Champion’s League football.

A transfer fee of around £10 million was tossed around by The People. It seemed a nearly guaranteed move, until it was revealed by Fulham on August 31^st that no opening bid had even been tabled by the Merseyside club.

Jol had already failed to include Dempsey in the club’s first two games of this season and the 29-year-old’s reputation would only be tarnished further if his supposed refusal to lineup for Fulham in search of glory at another club found him stuck when the transfer window closed.

Agonizingly late for all involved, a deal was struck with the U.S. international to join Tottenham for £6 million. The fellow London club may not have been exactly what Dempsey expected—especially while under the new management of Andre Villas-Boas and looking to regain Champions League status after their fourth place finish in 2011-12. However, the club has certainly been more successful than Liverpool in the past few EPL campaigns.

While the American sat out the first league game at his new club, the Associated Press reports he has been very vocal about the move (h/t the Boston Herald). He is glad to be at a genuine CL-chasing club in London, which allows his family to stay local as opposed to potentially moving to the Liverpool area.

However, Dempsey’s decision will be weighed depending not only on how much success he will have with the club immediately—domestic cups and Europa League—but on whether Tottenham will finish high enough to merit automatic qualification to Europe’s biggest competition.

He will probably face more competition for a starting spot than he ever did at Fulham, but should play regularly in at least the club's cup competitions. However, even a victory in the Europa League will not justify the move in many Fulham supporter's eyes.

The U.S. international is one of the most decorated players in U.S. soccer history. Considering he will be 30 years old by the end of this campaign, it is understandable that he wants to collect as many honors as possible in his remaining seasons as a professional footballer. 

For now, Dempsey will be focused on continuing to help the the U.S. national team qualify in top spot for the 2014 World Cup with important matches away and at home to Jamaica.

Afterward, he should be available for Tottenham's match against Reading on September 16th, when he will join recently acquired Fulham teammate Moussa Dembélé in forming a fearsome attack for his new club.

Only time will tell how Dempsey will be judged for leaving the club—that loved him so much—for a new adventure at a resurgent and more financially burly Tottenham. However, if next May they do not make the Champions League, there will be many inside of Craven Cottage who will have themselves a laugh at the Texan's expense.