Dempsey, who oddly spends his time away from football rapping under the alias ‘Deuce’, has been a big success at Craven Cottage. Safe
The hard-running, free-spirited American became the most expensive MLS export ever when he joined Fulham in January 2007, having previously tried out with Feyenoord.
Able to play on the right of midfield or up front, Dempsey’s committed performances have made him a popular figure. His first strike in English football – the only goal of the game against Liverpool – secured the Whites’ continued top-flight success in 2006/07 and he finished top scorer in 2007/08’s ultimately successful battle against the drop.
A key member of the USA squad, he scored his country’s solitary goal in the 2006 World Cup in the 2-1 defeat by Ghana.