Editing Clint Dempsey (section)

====2011–12 season====
Dempsey scored a brace in the first leg of Fulham's [[2011–12 UEFA Europa League qualifying phase and play-off round|2011–12 Europa League play-off]] clash against [[FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk|Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk]] at [[Craven Cottage]]. Dempsey ended with two goals as Fulham ran out 3–0 winners, setting up a comfortable second leg in Ukraine.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://espnfc.com/uk/en/report/328073/report.html|title= Dempsey at the double|publisher= Soccernet|date=August 18, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20131205123202/http://espnfc.com/uk/en/report/328073/report.html|archive-date=December 5, 2013}}</ref>

On December 5, 2011, Dempsey scored in the 85th minute to secure a 1–0 win against Liverpool at Craven Cottage.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/8931196/Kenny-Dalglish-furious-at-chant-cheats-aimed-at-Luis-Suarez-after-Liverpool-lose-to-Fulham.html|title=Kenny Dalglish furious at 'chant' cheats aimed at Luis Suarez after Liverpool lose to Fulham|publisher=The Telegraph|date=December 6, 2011|location=London, UK|first=Henry|last=Winter|archive-date=November 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127063239/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/8931196/Kenny-Dalglish-furious-at-chant-cheats-aimed-at-Luis-Suarez-after-Liverpool-lose-to-Fulham.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The goal propelled Dempsey to become the most prolific U.S. goalscorer in the Premier League, passing Fulham legend and fellow American [[Brian McBride]].<ref>{{cite web|publisher=ESPN FC |date=December 5, 2011|url=http://espnfc.com/uk/en/report/317985/report.html|title=Dempsey downs 10-man Liverpool|archive-date=January 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103025244/http://espnfc.com/uk/en/report/317985/report.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Dempsey scored his fifth [[2011–12 Premier League|Premier League]] goal of the campaign with a header in a 2–0 home win against [[Bolton Wanderers|Bolton]] on December 17, lifting his side six points clear of the drop zone.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/8961478/Fulham-2-Bolton-Wanderers-0-match-report.html|title=Fulham 2 Bolton Wanderers 0: match report|publisher=The Telegraph|date=December 17, 2011|location=London, UK|first=Gerry|last=Cox|archive-date=February 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201011507/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/8961478/Fulham-2-Bolton-Wanderers-0-match-report.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the club's [[West London derby]] against rivals Chelsea on [[Boxing Day]], Dempsey scored the equalizing goal as the game ended in a 1–1 draw.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/8973158/Chelsea-1-Fulham-1-match-report.html|title=Chelsea 1 Fulham 1: match report|date=December 26, 2011|location=London, UK|first=Jason|last=Burt|access-date=December 27, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201024526/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/premier-league/8973158/Chelsea-1-Fulham-1-match-report.html|archive-date=February 1, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Dempsey became only the second American to post a [[hat trick]] in the [[FA Cup]] behind [[Chris Cleary]] with the first [[hat-trick]] of his career<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/sports/soccer/news/_/id/7436231/clint-dempsey-records-first-hat-trick-fulham-romp|title=Clint Dempsey posts hat trick in rout|publisher=ESPN|date=January 8, 2012}}</ref> on January 7 against [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] in their [[2011–12 FA Cup|FA Cup third round]] game that ended in a 4–0 victory.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espnfc.com/uk/en/report/334364/report.html|title=Dempsey hits hat-trick|access-date=January 7, 2012|publisher=[[ESPN]]}}</ref> On January 21, 2012, Dempsey scored his first [[List of Premier League hat-tricks|Premier League hat-trick]] against [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle]] while the game ended in a 5–2 win for Fulham<ref>{{cite web|url=http://espnfc.com/uk/en/report/318007/report.html|title=Fulham v Newcastle United|access-date=January 21, 2012|publisher=[[ESPN]]|archive-date=January 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140103211823/http://espnfc.com/uk/en/report/318007/report.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and sent his goal tally in the Premier League to nine for the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player/_/id/39928/clint-dempsey?cc=5901|title=Clint Dempsey Stats|publisher=ESPN|date=January 14, 2012|access-date=January 21, 2012|archive-date=May 2, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502212420/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/player/_/id/39928/clint-dempsey?cc=5901|url-status=dead}}</ref>

With his hat-trick against Newcastle, he became the first ever U.S. player to score a hat-trick in the Premier League.<ref name="First American Hat Trick in EPL">{{cite news|last=Burke|first=Timothy|title=Here's Clint Dempsey's Hat Trick Today, The First-Ever by an American in the English Premier League|url=http://deadspin.com/5878142/heres-clint-dempseys-hat-trick-today-the-first+ever-by-an-american-in-the-english-premier-league|access-date=January 21, 2012|newspaper=[[Deadspin]]|date=January 21, 2012|archive-date=December 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225154533/http://deadspin.com/5878142/heres-clint-dempseys-hat-trick-today-the-first%2Bever-by-an-american-in-the-english-premier-league|url-status=dead}}</ref> Dempsey scored his 10th Premier League goal of the season, sixteenth in all competitions, in a 1–1 draw against former manager [[Roy Hodgson]]'s [[West Bromwich Albion|West Brom]] on February 1, 2012.<ref>{{cite news|first=Jamie|last=Jackson|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2012/feb/01/fulham-west-bromwich-albion-premier-league|location=London, UK|title=Fulham 1–1 West Bromwich Albion|date=February 1, 2012|access-date=February 1, 2012|work=The Guardian|archive-date=December 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225154533/http://deadspin.com/5878142/heres-clint-dempseys-hat-trick-today-the-first%2Bever-by-an-american-in-the-english-premier-league|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Dempsey "assisted" another goal in a 2–1 win against [[Stoke City]] on February 11, 2012. His 28th-minute shot hit the crossbar and was deflected by Stoke goalkeeper [[Thomas Sørensen]]. It was therefore awarded as an own goal off the goalie. His form this season continued against Wolverhampton Wanderers where Dempsey scored twice in a 5–0 victory for Fulham.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16884253|title=Fulham 2–1 Stoke|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|work=BBC Sport|date=February 11, 2012|access-date=February 11, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206112859/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16884253|archive-date=December 6, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On March 8, 2012, the day before Dempsey's 29th birthday, Fulham manager Martin Jol revealed that the club had opened talks with Dempsey over a new three-year contract.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Fulham-Clint-Dempsey-open-talks-over-new-three-year-contract-Pavel-Pogrebnyak-will-wait-to-summer-to-decide-on-permanent-move-article875745.html|title=Dempsey in talks over new Fulham deal|publisher=mirrorfootball.co.uk|date=March 8, 2012|access-date=March 10, 2012|archive-date=November 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131127061304/http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Fulham-Clint-Dempsey-open-talks-over-new-three-year-contract-Pavel-Pogrebnyak-will-wait-to-summer-to-decide-on-permanent-move-article875745.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Dempsey scored his fourteenth and fifteenth Premier League goals of the campaign, bringing his tally to twenty-one in all competitions, in a 3–0 away win over [[Bolton Wanderers]] on April 7, the first a free kick and the second a header.<ref>[http://espnfc.com/uk/en/report/317941/report.html Report: Bolton Wanderers v Fulham – Barclays Premier League, ESPN Soccernet (April 7, 2012); retrieved on December 5, 2013.]</ref> The strikes moved Dempsey past [[Louis Saha]]'s record of thirteen Premier League goals for the club in a single season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/dempsey-scores-twice-fulham-beats-201900453--sow.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714005803/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/dempsey-scores-twice-fulham-beats-201900453--sow.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 14, 2012|title=Dempsey scores twice as Fulham beats Bolton 3–0|publisher=Yahoo! Sports|date=April 7, 2012|access-date=December 5, 2013}}</ref> Dempsey finished fourth on the [[FWA Footballer of the Year]] list behind the winner, Arsenal's [[Robin van Persie]], and [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] pair [[Wayne Rooney]] and [[Paul Scholes]], who came in second and third, respectively.<ref>{{cite news|date=May 24, 2012|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17822161|title=Arsenal's Robin van Persie named FWA Footballer of the Year|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> Dempsey became the first American player to reach the milestone of fifty goals in the Premier League, with a free kick against [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]] in the last home game of the season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17885305|title=Fulham 2–1 Sunderland|work=BBC Sport|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|date=May 6, 2012|access-date=May 6, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206095335/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17885305|archive-date=December 6, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On August 31, 2012, Fulham confirmed Dempsey's transfer to Tottenham Hotspur.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/august/31/dempsey-departs|title=Dempsey Departs|publisher=Fulham FC|access-date=August 31, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225180045/http://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2012/august/31/dempsey-departs|archive-date=December 25, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>