American · Nacogdoches, USA · Born 9 March 1983The Deuce — American footballer who became the first from the USA to score 50 Premier League goals and broke the US national team scoring record.
Clinton Drew Dempsey was born on March 9, 1983, in Nacogdoches, Texas, and developed his early skills playing in local adult leagues with a strong Latin American influence, honing a technical, creative style unusual for an American player of his generation. His parents drove six hours round-trip, three times a week, so he could train with the elite Dallas Texans youth club, an enormous commitment that helped shape his path to professional football. Dempsey played college soccer at Furman University in South Carolina before being drafted by the New England Revolution in 2004, winning MLS Rookie of the Year honors. In 2007, Fulham signed him for £2 million, and he spent seven years in the Premier League split between Fulham and a spell at Tottenham Hotspur, becoming one of the most successful American players ever to compete in England, highlighted by Fulham's run to the 2010 Europa League final. Nicknamed "Deuce," Dempsey became the first American player to score in three different World Cups, in 2006, 2010, and 2014, and helped the United States reach the final of the 2009 Confederations Cup. He earned 141 caps for the U.S. men's national team and finished his international career tied with Landon Donovan as the program's all-time leading scorer with 57 goals. Dempsey returned to MLS with the Seattle Sounders in 2013, winning further domestic honors before retiring in 2018 after being diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2022 and later moved into broadcasting as a soccer analyst, drawing on a career that took him from rural East Texas to the biggest stages in world football.
First American to score at three World Cups
His 50 Premier League goals made him the first American — and for years the only one — to reach that milestone.
Did You Know?How They Played
Versatile attacking player with clinical finishing and creative flair
Lasting Impact
Pioneering American soccer star who broke barriers in European football
Career Honours
- First American to score 50 PL goals
- US National Team Top Scorer (former)
- MLS Cup 2016
- US Open Cup 2014
- CONCACAF Gold Cup 2005
- CONCACAF Gold Cup 2007
- CONCACAF Gold Cup 2017
| Club | Period | Apps | Goals | Shirt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England Revolution | 2004–2007 | 71 | 50 | #8 |
| Fulham | 2007–2012 | 184 | 50 | — |
| Tottenham | 2012–2013 | 43 | 12 | — |
| Seattle Sounders | 2013–2018 | 115 | 47 | — |
 USA | — | 141 | 57 | — |
American Athletes