Editing Clint Dempsey (section)

{{Short description|American soccer player (born 1983)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Clint Dempsey
| image = Clint Dempsey (26347615912) (cropped).jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = Dempsey playing for [[Seattle Sounders FC]] in 2016
| fullname = Clinton Drew Dempsey<ref name=Hugman>{{Hugman|22800|access-date=September 26, 2017}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1983|3|9}}<ref name="Hugman2010-11 115">{{cite book|editor-first= Barry J.|editor-last=Hugman|title=The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11|year=2010|publisher=Mainstream Publishing|location=Edinburgh|isbn=978-1-84596-601-0|page=115}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Nacogdoches, Texas]], United States
| height = 6 ft 1 in<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.premierleague.com/players/3121/Clint-Dempsey/overview | title = Clint Dempsey - Premier League | access-date = March 17, 2021 }}</ref>
| position = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]], [[midfielder]]
| currentclub = 
| clubnumber = 
| youthyears1 = 1998–2001
| youthclubs1 = Dallas Texans
| collegeyears1 = 2001–2003
| college1 = [[Furman Paladins men's soccer|Furman Paladins]]
| collegecaps1 = 62
| collegegoals1 = 17<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/clint-dempsey |title=Clint Dempsey |work=MLSsoccer.com |access-date=March 3, 2022}}</ref>
| years1 = 2004–2006
| clubs1 = [[New England Revolution]]
| caps1 = 71
| goals1 = 25
| years2 = 2007–2012
| clubs2 = [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]]
| caps2 = 189
| goals2 = 50
| years3 = 2012–2013
| clubs3 = [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]
| caps3 = 29
| goals3 = 7
| years4 = 2013–2018
| clubs4 = [[Seattle Sounders FC]]
| caps4 = 115
| goals4 = 47 <!--LEAGUE ONLY-->
| years5 = 2014
| clubs5 = → [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] (loan)
| caps5 = 5
| goals5 = 0
| totalcaps = 409
| totalgoals = 129
| nationalyears1 = 2002–2003
| nationalteam1 = [[United States men's national under-20 soccer team|United States U20]]
| nationalcaps1 = 13
| nationalgoals1 = 21
| nationalyears2 = 2004–2017
| nationalteam2 = [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]]
| nationalcaps2 = 141
| nationalgoals2 = [[List of international goals scored by Clint Dempsey|57]]
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's [[Association football|soccer]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{fb|USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[CONCACAF Gold Cup]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2005 United States]]|}}
{{Medal|W|[[2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2007 United States]]|}}
{{Medal|W|[[2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2013 United States]]|}}
{{Medal|W|[[2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2017 United States]]|}}
{{Medal|RU|[[2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2011 United States]]|}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[FIFA Confederations Cup]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[2009 FIFA Confederations Cup|2009 South Africa]]|}}
}}

'''Clinton Drew Dempsey''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ɛ|m|p|s|i}}; born March 9, 1983) is an American former professional [[Association football|soccer]] player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''[[Soccer on CBS Sports]]''. He played as a [[Forward (association football)|forward]] and [[midfielder]] for [[Premier League]] clubs [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] and [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] and in [[Major League Soccer]] for clubs [[New England Revolution]] and [[Seattle Sounders FC]]. Often debated as the greatest American player of all time, he is one of the most successful American players in Europe, and is tied with [[Landon Donovan]] for the record of most international goals scored by an American player ([[List of international goals scored by Clint Dempsey|57]]).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Seltzer |first1=Greg |title=Top 10 US national team players of the modern era |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/seltzer-top-10-us-national-team-players-modern-era |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220101212220/https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/seltzer-top-10-us-national-team-players-modern-era |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |access-date=January 1, 2022 |website=mlssoccer.com |publisher=MLS}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=March 26, 2017 |title=Clint Dempsey is Mr. Clutch and USMNT's greatest-ever player |url=http://www.espn.in/football/club/united-states/660/blog/post/3089808/clint-dempsey-is-mr-clutch-and-best-us-mens-player-ever |access-date=March 26, 2017 |website=ESPN FC}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The top 50 players in USMNT history |url=https://www.foxsports.com/soccer/gallery/the-top-50-players-in-usmnt-history-110916 |access-date=November 9, 2016 |website=FOX Sports}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=August 29, 2018 |title=Clint Dempsey was the greatest USMNT player of his generation |url=https://soccer.nbcsports.com/2018/08/29/clint-dempsey-was-the-greatest-usmnt-player-of-his-generation/ |access-date=August 29, 2018 |website=NBC Sports}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=July 27, 2022 |title=Fulham's Greatest Scorer: Dempsey |url=https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2022/july/27/fulhams-greatest-scorer-clint-dempsey/ |access-date=December 3, 2023 |website=Fulham FC}}</ref>

A native of [[Nacogdoches, Texas]], Dempsey spent his youth career with the Dallas Texans before joining [[Furman University]]'s men's soccer team in 2001. In 2004, he was drafted by the New England Revolution, where he scored 25 goals in 71 appearances. In 2007, Dempsey signed for Premier League club Fulham for [[Pound sterling|£]]2 million. With Fulham, he was an integral part of the team that were runners-up to Spanish club [[Atlético Madrid]] for the [[2009–10 UEFA Europa League]]. He was awarded Fulham Player of the Season for [[2010–11 Fulham F.C. season|2010–11]] and [[2011–12 Fulham F.C. season|2011–12]], where he was the club's top scorer for both. In 2012, Dempsey became the first American player to score a [[hat-trick]] in the Premier League.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16559649|title=Fulham 5–2 Newcastle|work=[[BBC Sport]]|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|date=January 12, 2012|access-date=April 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228181746/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16559649|archive-date=February 28, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> 

In 2012, Tottenham signed Dempsey for a fee of $9.6&nbsp;million, then a record signing [[List of most expensive American soccer transfers|for an American]]. He scored 12 goals in his only season with Tottenham, giving him 72 goals across all competitions for Premier League clubs—the most by an American in a top-tier [[European Leagues|European league]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/the-shin-guardian-blog/2013/aug/07/clint-dempsey-tottenham-hotspur-seattle-sounders|title=Why would Clint Dempsey move from Spurs to the Seattle Sounders?|first=Matthew|last=Tomaszewicz|date=August 7, 2013|website=The Guardian}}</ref> 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 [[Supporters' Shield|2014 Supporters' Shield]]. During the 2016 season, Dempsey was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat and missed the team's run to the [[MLS Cup 2016|MLS Cup]]. He returned the following season, before announcing his retirement from professional soccer in 2018.

Dempsey represented the [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]] at the [[2003 FIFA World Youth Championship]] and made his first appearance with the senior team on November 17, 2004. He earned more than [[List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps|140 caps]] and scored [[List of international goals scored by Clint Dempsey|57 international goals]], making him the nation's fourth-most capped player and tying him with Landon Donovan as the top all-time scorer with 57 goals. Dempsey represented the United States at four [[CONCACAF Gold Cup]]s (winning three), helped them to the final of the [[2009 FIFA Confederations Cup|2009 Confederations Cup]], and scored in each of the three [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]]s he attended.<ref name="Ghana2014">{{cite news|date=June 17, 2014|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2100421-team-usas-clint-dempsey-scores-5th-fastest-goal-in-world-cup-history|title=Team USA's Clint Dempsey Scores 5th-Fastest Goal in World Cup History|publisher=[[Bleacher Report]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Mayers|first1=Joshua|title=Clint Dempsey becomes first American to score in three World Cups, has nose broken|url=http://blogs.seattletimes.com/soundersfc/2014/06/16/clint-dempsey-becomes-first-american-to-score-in-three-world-cups-suffers-broken-nose/|access-date=July 23, 2015|work=[[Seattle Times]]|date=June 16, 2014|archive-date=July 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150723172206/http://blogs.seattletimes.com/soundersfc/2014/06/16/clint-dempsey-becomes-first-american-to-score-in-three-world-cups-suffers-broken-nose/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2022, Dempsey was inducted into the [[National Soccer Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/clint-dempsey-thanks-family-in-emotional-hall-of-fame-acceptance-speech |title= Clint Dempsey thanks family in emotional Hall of Fame acceptance speech |author= Johnathan Wright |publisher=[[MLS]]|date=May 22, 2022}}</ref>