Clinton Drew Dempsey is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward and midfielder. During his career, he played in the Premier League for Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur and in Major League Soccer for New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders FC. ESPN, Fox Sports, and NBC Sports have each ranked Dempsey as the greatest men’s American soccer player in history.
Profile Summary
| Full Name | Clinton Drew Dempsey |
| Gender | Male |
| Nationality | American |
| Date of Birth | March 9, 1983 |
| Place of Birth | Nacogdoches, Texas, United States |
| Profession | American former professional soccer player |
| Position(s) | Forward, Midfielder |
| Net Worth | $16 million |
Clinton Dempsey Early Life
Dempsey was born in Nacogdoches, Texas, and is of Irish ancestry on his father’s side. For much of his childhood, Dempsey’s family lived in a trailer park where he and his siblings grew up playing soccer with the complex’s large population of Hispanic immigrants.
In his teens, Dempsey maintained these ties playing in a local Mexican-dominated adult league. His older brother, Ryan, was offered a tryout for the Dallas Texans, an elite youth soccer club, and brought Dempsey, who 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 financial constraints as his eldest sister Jennifer was becoming a ranked youth tennis player. Several parents of his teammates with the Texans offered to assist the Dempseys with expenses and travel, allowing him to rejoin the club.
On November 27, 1995, Dempsey’s 16-year-old sister Jennifer died from a brain aneurysm. Dempsey was devastated with the family’s loss and later explained that this event helped him develop a deeper motivation to pursue soccer in honor of his sister.
Professional Life Of Clinton Dempsey
Clinton went on to be the captain and high scorer of the Texans and was honored with the MVP of the Tampa Bay Sun Bowl tournament. Dempsey studied the play of Argentina’s national team, especially Diego Maradona, and was heartbroken when the news came to Nacogdoches that Maradona would not be playing in the 1994 World Cup game played in the Cotton Bowl. He attended Furman University as a health and exercise science major and a key player for Paladins soccer.
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution selected Clint Dempsey eighth overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft. In his rookie season, he started 23 of 24 matches scoring seven goals. Dempsey helped the Revolution to the Eastern Conference Finals and earned 2004 MLS Rookie of the Year Honors. He was also named the 2004 Man of the Year by the Midnight Riders. In 2005, Dempsey contributed ten goals and nine assists in 26 games. He scored the game-winning goal in the Eastern Conference Final on his way to an appearance in the MLS Cup Final.
In 2006, Dempsey added eight more goals, but missed significant time in the playoffs due to injury. He came on as a substitute in the MLS Cup Final, but the Revolution lost their second straight final, this time in a penalty shoot-out.
Fulham
In December 2006, English club Fulham offered MLS $4 million for the transfer of Dempsey, then the largest amount ever offeredfor an MLS player, and he became another American addition to a Cottagers’ squad which included U.S. internationals Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra.
On January 11, 2007, he was granted a work permit from the Home Office as Fulham announced his signing on a long-term deal. This made Dempsey the most expensive American export to the Premier League in a deal worth a reported £2 million. He made his Fulham debut in a 1–1 home draw against Tottenham Hotspur on January 20, 2007. His FA Cup debut followed seven days later in a 3–0 home win over Stoke City.
Music
One of Dempsey’s passions outside of soccer is hip hop music. Using the alias “Deuce”, he, along with fellow Texas rappers XO and the late Houston rapper Big Hawk from the Screwed Up Click, is featured rapping the song “Don’t Tread” in a Nike soccer advertising campaign for the 2006 World Cup with the intention to showcase both the sport’s working-class roots and the United States team ahead of the World Cup. The song’s video is dedicated to his sister Jennifer, who, at age 16, was suddenly struck with a brain aneurysm, which proved fatal. The video ends with a shot of Dempsey placing a flower at his sister’s grave.
Personal and Marital Life of Clinton Dempsey
Dempsey is married to Bethany Keegan Dempsey. They have five children and live in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
Dempsey is a practicing Catholic. He grew up in a Catholic family going to church every Sunday with his grandmother. He has spoken about his faith saying, “I play to the best of my abilities and am thankful for the many opportunities and amazing success God has given me. Through it all, I want to do right, not make mistakes, and live a life that is pleasing to Him”.
Dempsey is a fan of the NFL’s Houston Texans. Although not known for his fandom of hockey, he sounded the siren before the Carolina Hurricanes 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 2, Game 5 matchup against the New York Rangers in Raleigh, North Carolina, on May 27, 2022.
Clinton Dempsey Net Worth
Clint Dempsey is a retired American soccer player who has a net worth of $16 million.
Conclusion
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, Dempsey was drafted by the New England Revolution, where he scored 25 goals in 71 appearances. Between 2007 and 2012, Dempsey played for Fulham in the Premier League, eventually becoming the club’s leading Premier League goalscorer. Dempsey also became the first American player to score a hat-trick in the Premier League during a 5–2 win against Newcastle United in 2012.
Dempsey, along with global cover star Lionel Messi, features on the cover of EA Sports’ multi-platform video game FIFA 15 in the U.S. & Canada.
