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NORWICH, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 31: Clint Dempsey of Tottenham Hotspur misses his penalty during the Capital One Cup Fourth Round match between Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur at Carrow Road on October 31, 2012 in Norwich, England. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images)
You must have seen this person above occasionally on the field, and you must have heard his name.
Clint Dempsey.
Does that name ring any bells?
Well, he is the one footballer who shouts consistency in each game. One of few players among the few, who manages to get on the score sheet in every other game, in spite of playing as a midfielder. Only Marouane Fellaini (Everton), Juan Mata (Chelsea) & Kevin Nolan (West Ham) come to mind when it comes to players who would fall under this category in the EPL this season. He is the only player, as far as I know, to have shown an authentic game-face during a game. He is the most underrated athlete with immense quality and potential in the EPL.
Clint Dempsey is that player.
With 50 goals for Fulham in his six seasons, which saw his prominence rise to be the club’s highest EPL scorer of all time in his final season, thirty in American colors and two already this season, one of them being a game winner against Manchester United few months ago, he is a man who is worth mentioning. As a note, that win against MUFC was the first loss the Red Devils faced against Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in 23 years. So he had already rewritten a piece in the club’s history, three Premier League games into his time at the club.
The American has a bit of charm about him though. He is the type of person that would be comfortable being in the background. He who owns the capability of driving a team forward. Nothing pops up if you do an online search on negative sentiment surrounding his name. He was in the news briefly prior to the season, but that was surrounding Liverpool’s illegal approach to attain his services.
His various interviews only suggest that he is as humble as the Dalai Lama. However, if you’ve ever had a chance to see him display his skills, that unpretentious distinction made above does not equate to his boldness he exhibits. Neither is he scared of getting down and dirty in tackles, nor does he hesitate before going into a 50 – 50 situation. The man has managed to display his passion for whichever jersey he has adorned, be it domestic or international, which is why he is worth being recognized in this piece.
Though he had been systematically non-existent in recent performances in his team’s loss against Wigan, Manchester City and Arsenal, he still deserves to be praised due to his sheer work ethic in every game.
At the age of 29, it might be a little late for Dempsey to prove himself at a top 5 club, and subsequently in the EPL, but the midfielder had done his bit to catch the attention of outfits like Liverpool and Arsenal which is a reward in itself.
PS: Below is the game face I was talking about. He brought it out during a World Cup qualifier against Jamaica.
