Clint Dempsey

Clinton Drew "Clint" Dempsey (born March 9, 1983) is an American soccer player who plays for Fulham and the United States national team. A versatile attacking player known for his ball skills, he can be used on either wing or as a striker.

He is the second American to score goals in two different FIFA World Cup finals tournaments, in 2006 and 2010, and has the record for the highest number of goals in a single season for an American in the Premier League; as well as the record for Fulham's career Premier League scoring leader.

Youth

Dempsey was born in Nacogdoches, Texas and, for much of his childhood, his family lived in a trailer park, where he and his siblings grew up playing soccer with the local children or anyone he could find. His older brother Ryan was offered a tryout for the Dallas Texans, an elite youth soccer club, but young Clint, who had come along, was noticed and recruited while passing time juggling a ball on the sidelines. Dempsey became a standout on the team at an early age, but had to quit due to his family's time and money constraints as his eldest sister Jennifer was becoming a ranked youth tennis player. But several parents of his teammates with the Texans offered to assist the Dempseys with expenses and travel, allowing him to rejoin the club.

He went on to be the captain and high scorer of the Texans and was honored with MVP in the Tampa Bay Sun Bowl tournament. He was...
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