A biography for Clint Dempseyhasn’t been written yet.
“It's where you're from - it's your roots - and that's why I like to get back to Nacogdoches in the offseason and hang out with my family. To me, it keeps me grounded and reminds me of how far I've come.”
“I've always pushed myself hard.”
“Family comes together when you deal with hard times because it's the only way you know how to cope.”
“I like trying to be creative.”
“I never really thought of myself as a captain. I always thought of myself as a guy trying to win games, a guy who could look back and have no regrets.”
“It's an honor, it's a privilege to be able to be one of the guys leading your country out, especially in a World Cup. It's something that you'll be able to tell your grandkids about.”
“I always kind of struggled a little bit with being captain sometimes, because sometimes you feel like you have to be someone that you're not.”
“I played three seasons when I was in MLS before I went to Europe, and every year, I was able to be selected for the All-Star, which was an honor.”
“I want to do something really special in my life.”
“If someone has your arms around you, I'm not going to sit there and be like, 'OK, this is fine.' I'm going to try to bust out of it and get in position to score a goal.”
“The most important thing is the time you spend with the coach and what you all achieve.”
“I think the more important thing for a player is to make sure that you're playing and you're playing well and playing consistently. If doesn't matter where you are.”
“I've been playing 90 minutes in MLS games. But when you're playing internationally in World Cup qualifiers, there's a little bit extra incentive there. It's win or go home.”
“I didn't get started until late. I didn't get started until I was 20. I turned 21 in my first MLS season, in March. It's always been a race against time, really, for me. It's kind of my mentality, to make up for lost time.”
“I was a mama's boy.”
“You know me: I'm a fighter.”
“The most important thing is qualifying for the World Cup.”
“For soccer, it was Diego Maradona, and then another idol for me was Michael Jordan. To see them play and how that they could impact the game was pretty special.”
“I remember, growing up, losing a sister, and - life is short. Make the most of your opportunities.”
“You always want to play at the highest level possible and make the most of your career, and I felt like I did everything I could.”