151: Clint Dempsey, Fulham, Topps Match Attax Trading Card Game, 2009/10

Since October 2023 Joey Barton has had a fair amount of time on his hands. Never one to shy away from sharing his views the former Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers’ manager has followed in the footsteps of many a former footballer and launched a podcast which, in turn, has increased his already extensive use of Elon Musk’s social media experiment. Rather than leaning on the Nietzsche and Morrissey quotes that got him on Question Time back in 2014 Barton has gone down a more tried and tested route of dishing out controversial barbs at female pundits, Jeremy Vine and Gary Neville to name but a few. Having played a full twelve minutes of international football he also shared his views on the current crop of England stars. Particular vitriol was levelled at Kyle Walker for being “more arsed about looking like the rapper Drake than the great Bobby Moore” while midfielder Jude Bellingham was praised for his lack of earrings or leggings in training in comparison to his team mates “all wanting to be rappers”. 

Quite what Joey Barton has against rappers is open to interpretation but football’s relationship with the art form is hardly news. It seems odd that a supposed fan of Manchester’s 1980s indie scene would take such umbrage with England stars spitting some bars after John Barnes’ infamous contribution to New Order’s ‘World In Motion’. Elsewhere Paul Gascoigne followed up his collaboration with folk icons Lindisfarne on ‘Fog On The Tyne (Revisited)’ with the far less successful ‘Geordie Boys (Gazza Rap)’ while Andy Cole topped off Manchester United’s Treble winning year with no.68 smash hit ‘Outstanding’. Didier Drogba contributed some vocals to a charity single with Parisian rapper Doc Gyneco while Emmanuel Frimpong’s verse on his cousin Lethal Bizzle’s ‘Leave It Yeah (Remix)’ is a masterpiece. All of these efforts, however, pale in comparison to the work of a former Premier League midfield maestro from across the pond.

Ahead of the 2006 World Cup Nike’s efforts to boost the profile of the US Men’s National Team saw them turn to the Texan hip-hop artists XO, Big Hawk and Deuce and their track ‘Don’t Tread’. On the streets and playing fields of the Lone Star State the trio reminisced about their time playing “soccer” growing up and their determination to put doubters in their place. Deuce, better known in footballing circles as Clint Dempsey, also pointed out that his success in his first two seasons with New England Revolution had him “grinding more ice than a hockey skate” which might have been the deciding factor in his inclusion in Bruce Arena’s squad for the tournament in Germany. He missed their 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic, where Jan Koller netted after just five minutes, but played the first hour of their impressive 1-1 draw with eventual winners Italy. Dempsey got the full ninety against Ghana in the USA’s final group game and his goal briefly restored parity before Steven Appiah’s penalty just two minutes later secured a 2-1 win for the Black Stars. 

While the US crashed out of a tough group in Germany Dempsey’s performances attracted attention and, after a penalty shootout loss in the MLS Cup final, he made a £2m move across the pond to Fulham where he joined fellow American stars Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra. Across five and a half seasons with the Cottagers he contributed sixty goals and was an integral part of a side which flourished under Roy Hodgson and reached the inaugural Europa League final in the 2009/10 campaign. His wonder goal against Juventus sealed a 4-1 win over the Italian giants in the round of sixteen and confirmed his status as having the skill and panache to go with the grit and determination he displayed on the mic. After a prolific 2011/12 season he was snapped up by London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, becoming the highest paid American ‘soccer’ player of all time, and contributed vital goals in domestic and continental competition. Spurs missed out on Champions League football by a solitary point to North London rivals Arsenal and Dempsey made a surprising move back to the US with Seattle Sounders. His 2016 season was curtailed after he was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat and he missed out on the Sounders’ MLS Cup final victory as a result. Despite speculation over his retirement he was declared fit for the 2017 campaign and earned the MLS’ Comeback Player of the Year award as his fifteen goals in all competitions helped the club reach yet another MLS Cup final.

Dempsey played one final season for the Sounders in 2018 before calling time on his career. His 155 goals from midfield in 475 club appearances were instrumental in the success of the sides he turned out for while his 57 goals in 141 internationals make him his nation’s all-time joint top scorer alongside Landon Donovan and fourth most capped player. While his critics, perhaps unused to an American flair player, were frustrated by some of the backheels his former USMNT coach Bruce Arena hailed the fact he “tried shit”. Dempsey’s success for club and country certainly owed a lot to such creativity whether it was bamboozling defences or “spitting truth in the booth”. Quite what Joey Barton would make of all that I don’t know but it’s likely that Clint Dempsey, and recent Premier League champion Kyle Walker for that matter, would advise he “don’t tread”.