Major League Soccer has been kind to Fulham. Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra were both bargain buys from across the Atlantic. More recently Simon Elliott has been added to the squad, bought from Columbus Crew.
And now the name Clint Dempsey is the latest addition, Clint is one of the new breed of American soccer, a player with speed, skill and ability. A player that a lot of hopes of the national side are pinned on in the coming years and he chose Fulham above the rest, so what is it that makes this man from the Lone Star state tick?
The January transfer window was full of activity for Fulham as Chris Coleman brought in four new faces. Montella made an instant impact, Davies was a first choice from the off but Dempsey has been more sporadic, making some appearances from the bench but not an ideal situation as Clint explained. “These guys are in the middle of their season now whereas I signed having had quite a long break from the MLS,” explained Clint. “I am enjoying myself though and am relishing the challenge of breaking in to what is a very talented starting XI.”
In England players like Wayne Rooney and Theo Walcott were thrust into stardom at the tender age of 16 or 17. With clubs increasingly trying to give their young players a firmer educational grounding, it seems that the Americans are a fair way ahead in that respect. It was while at Furman University in South Carolina that Clint not only developed his game to the point of international recognition but that he started to evolve as a person.
“My time at University definitely developed me as a person,” Clint revealed. “It was tough because it was the first time that I had ever been away from home. When you’re growing up away from home then you really find out who you are as a person and that can only help in later life, University forced me to grow up.
"Everything happens for a reason, that tough time I had at University really set me up for when I moved to New England and now here in London.
“Academically the school I went to was very tough, you had to continually make the grades or you couldn’t play, which was quite difficult. College is your last hope of making it in terms of soccer, if you don’t make it there then the chances are you won’t make a career out of soccer. Luckily I broke into the Under 20 side which opened the door for me to progress my career and move into the MLS.”
In 2004 Clint Dempsey was the eighth pick in the MLS Super Draft by the New England Revolution and that period in Clint’s career is one that he feels will stand him in good stead for his future in the game as he entered the professional arena, somewhere he knew he had to “sink or swim”. “I had some good times at New England, I was lucky enough to play for some great coaches who definitely helped me progress my game. Being able to play professional soccer was a dream come true for me. You have to mature as a player otherwise you will be shown the door and I didn’t want any other job than what I was doing.”
The coach that Clint professed to having such admiration for, was none other than former Liverpool stalwart Steve Nicol, a man who helped Clint to make that transition into the professional arena. “Stevie (Nicol) and Paul (Mariner) were great coaches but Steve especially,” said Clint.
“If he needed to explain something then he often just demonstrated his point by doing it himself which I think was a big help. He made a concerted effort to get to know the players, to understand what each player was going through as an individual. He knew how to approach us and talk to us as individuals.”
And when the time came it was to Steve and Paul that Clint turned to ensure that he was making the correct step in the next phase of his career.
“I spoke to both Steve and Paul about the potential move, it was an obvious thing to do. If anyone was going to know anything about the Leagues and the lifestyle over here it was going to be those two as they both experienced it,” said Clint. “They were really encouraging about what it’s like and about the League and what a challenge it would be for me. I respect their advice and it was exciting opportunity which I am glad I took.”
As more and more Americans make the transition to the other side of the Atlantic to make a name for themselves in the European leagues. One of, if not the, most famous export from England went in the other direction, namely David Beckham.
With Becks swapping the Santiago Bernabeu for the Home Depot Center, Clint is positive that the Beckham factor will play a positive role in the continued development of the MLS. “I think it is great for the kids in the States, it is important for them to have players that are known world wide and looked up to by many to be playing in our own league back home,” he said. “More fans are going to want to watch him play, so will therefore gain a greater appreciation for soccer and therefore more people that will actually want to play as well. It can’t hurt the perception of the League and will prove to be an important step for the MLS.”
