UNITED KINGDOM / FILE: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Fulham and USA midfielder Clint Dempsey tells Reuters he is looking forward to taking on arch rivals Mexico in Columbus

Record ID: 721560

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM / FILE: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Fulham and USA midfielder Clint Dempsey tells Reuters he is looking forward to taking on arch rivals Mexico in Columbus
  • Date: 7th February 2009
  • Summary: LONDON, UK (FILE - REUTERS) USA AND FULHAM MIDFIELDER CLINT DEMPSEY TRAINING WITH PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM FULHAM FC
  • Embargoed: 22nd February 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAAKHB6EYDGUU9H0FF402FHS5GR
  • Story Text: Over the years there have only been a handful of soccer players that have made the move from the MLS to the Premier League with any degree of success.
    Having fought hard to earn himself a place in Fulham's starting 11 this season, scoring some crucial goals along the way, Clint Dempsey can now consider himself part of that group, joining the likes of former Fulham teammate Brian McBride and Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel.
    Fulham paid the New England revolution 4 million dollars for Dempsey's services in December 2006, since then the Texan has played under three different managers and been part of two epic battles for Premiership survival, all of which he seems to have taken effortlessly in his stride.
    Having survived the drop on the last day of the 2007/08 season, Fulham's current manager Roy Hodgson brought in several new players over the summer and Dempsey found his opportunities limited to a handful of appearances as a substitute.

    "I think it is always difficult to try and work your way into a team, especially on a team that doesn't make may subs," Dempsey told Reuters, "so you know I just got my head down and continued working hard and tried to take advantage of the minutes that I got in the games and I ended up getting a spot."
    Dempsey scored two goals in the West London derby against arch rivals Chelsea in December, the 25 year old's performance on the biggest of occasions for his team caught the eye of many a Premier League commentator, but Dempsey is not getting carried away and still feels he has a lot to improve.

    "I have always felt that I could play at the highest level and there are still things that I want to improve on and to get better but you know so far it has been a great experience," he said.
    Dempsey will be looking to reproduce his last derby day performance in Columbus next Wednesday (February 11) when the USA take on Mexico in a CONCACAF grudge match.
    When asked what it is about games between the two nations that make the atmosphere so intense, Dempsey told Reuters that it all comes down to the success that the two teams have enjoyed over recent years.

    "I think that rivalry exists mainly because I think we are the top two teams in the CONCACAF and we are always going up against each other and it's like "Who's the best?" and I think that heats things up as well."
    David Beckham's much trumpeted five-year American adventure, which began amid hype and rich promise in June 2007, now seems destined to end with a whimper after only two seasons.
    Beckham has set his sights on a permanent move to Italy where he joined AC Milan on a two-month loan to help him in his bid to play one more World Cup with England in South Africa next year.
    When asked for his views on Beckham's decision, Dempsey told Reuters that although the MLS got his own career off the ground he had not looked back since leaving.

    "I think that there is a point in every player's career when they want to be challenged more and they want to see how far they can go and make the most of your life and I haven't really looked back since I left," he said.
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