“I’ll just say this one: on each my shinguards, I’ll kiss them before I put them on, and I’ll put the names of the people I’ve loved and lost to remind myself that life is short and to take advantage of the opportunity.”
― Clint Dempsey
“Every year is a roller coaster. I’ve enjoyed the struggle of having new coaches and having to prove myself over again. Being able to figure out ways to solve problems, to overcome obstacles – that’s been fun.”
― Clint Dempsey
“It’s always difficult, when you have such a quick turnaround and a long flight, to try to get ready for a game so quickly.”
― Clint Dempsey
“The only way you’re going to make it is to have a hunger for success and a will to win. That’s something that’s always pushed me.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I like being able to look in the mirror and seeing a smile on my face.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I remember, growing up, losing a sister, and – life is short. Make the most of your opportunities.”
― Clint Dempsey
“Anytime you get good service to the box, it’s always great as an attacking player because it gives you more opportunities to score.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I grew up and went from Nintendo to Super Nintendo to N64 to GameCube to Nintendo Wii to Xbox – I’ve always enjoyed playing games.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I’m grateful to Fulham for allowing me to come back on loan, where it all kind of started for me in Europe.”
― Clint Dempsey
“There were other clubs that I had options to go to, but Fulham has always kind of been like home to me.”
― Clint Dempsey
“The most important thing is making sure that we survive because Fulham deserves to be in the Premier League – it’s a great club with a lot of history.”
― Clint Dempsey
“You’ve got to do what’s best for you and what you want to accomplish in your career.”
― Clint Dempsey
“My parents were crazy. They just wanted to do everything they could for their kids.”
― Clint Dempsey
“Maybe the law don’t always handle things, but that doesn’t mean things don’t get handled.”
― Clint Dempsey
“It has always been my dream to make it as a pro.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I would like to thank all of the fans who have supported me throughout my career with the New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham, Seattle Sounders, and the U.S. Men’s National Team. Y’all have always made me feel at home, and it is something that I will always remember.”
― Clint Dempsey
“There’s no extra significance on beating a certain player. It’s kind of like golf. You’re just out there playing, and whatever ends up happening ends up happening.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I was a mama’s boy.”
― Clint Dempsey
“My parents gave us all a chance to accomplish our goals,and I was blessed with that – I was lucky with that – and I learnt at a very young age that anything less than my best wasn’t acceptable.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I do think you can’t be as good as the person next to you to play: you have to be better.”
― Clint Dempsey
“The moments that matter most are with your family, your friends. They are the realest moments.”
― Clint Dempsey
“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.”
― Clint Dempsey
“All-Star is something that’s exciting for the fans: it’s a way for the fans to see their favourite players all play at the same time.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I loved playing with friends and talking trash over ‘FIFA’ and ‘Mario Kart.’ Then, in the early stages of my professional career, I got into ‘Assassin’s Creed’ and ‘The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.’”
― Clint Dempsey
“You don’t want to get too far ahead of yourself; you just want to take care of your body and make sure you’re doing the right things to give yourself a chance to get through the season.”
― Clint Dempsey
“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.”
― Clint Dempsey
“You’re seeing more players come back to MLS in their prime and the homegrown talent coming up that’s of high quality. I think that game’s always continuing to grow, and I’m happy to be part of that growth and come back to the league.”
― Clint Dempsey
“All you can do is put in work. That’s what you can control, the effort that you put in, and that’s what I’m doing.”
― Clint Dempsey
“We didn’t have money put away in the bank for a college fund; soccer was our lottery ticket, our gamble.”
― Clint Dempsey
“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.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I see every year as a year where you’ve got to prove yourself.”
― Clint Dempsey
“Any point you can get is an important one.”
― Clint Dempsey
“It’s always kind of a weird thing when you come back from an injury, especially with your heart.”
― Clint Dempsey
“As I’ve become a professional, I just feel more pressure to produce, to score goals and get assists. I know I’m a good player, but it gives evidence of how good you are if you’re able to look at how many passes you’ve made in a game or how many chances you create. It’s in the books. It’s become more about stats as I’ve become a professional.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I’d rather be someone that’s underrated than overrated.”
― Clint Dempsey
“In life, you’re going to have things that are going to come up against you. You can either let it get to you, or you can make something happen.”
― Clint Dempsey
“That’s all I’m programmed for: to keep pushing and to try to make the most of my career and my life, to take care of my family.”
― Clint Dempsey
“With the national team, you never know how long you’ve got, so you always have to be pushing and making the most of it.”
― Clint Dempsey
“At certain times during your career, at different ages, you feel better than others.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I’ve always put pressure on myself to perform well.”
― Clint Dempsey
“When you see that your kids are proud of you, that they’re excited to wear your jersey and cheer you on, it doesn’t get better.”
― Clint Dempsey
“You always have to stay motivated and try to make the most of where you’re at.”
― Clint Dempsey
“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.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I liked rap from a young age, from listening to MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I like trying to be creative.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I love soccer. That’s my passion. That’s what I make a living doing.”
― Clint Dempsey
“You always wanna make sure that you’re not burnt out. But I feel like I’ve been able to find the right balance of still staying fresh in games and still being able to be productive.”
― Clint Dempsey
“When the team plays better, individuals play better as well.”
― Clint Dempsey
“When you come in with the national team, there’s an adjustment period. Sometimes you don’t have time to adjust.”
― Clint Dempsey
“Saying you shouldn’t miss a beat is easier said than done.”
― Clint Dempsey
“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.”
― Clint Dempsey
“If I feel compelled or feel that I really need to say something at a certain time, I’ll say it. But more do than not; I’m trying to lead by example.”
― Clint Dempsey
“My parents worked very hard for everything that they got. Their parents worked hard. It’s just something that is passed down to you, and whatever you want to accomplish, you have to work hard to get it, and that’s always been that mentality that my family has, and I think that’s something that was passed on to me.”
― Clint Dempsey
“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.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I’ve always been a competitive person, wanted to be on the field.”
― Clint Dempsey
“It was frustrating when the managers would change; you’d go to the bench and try to work your way back into the team. But it makes you stronger.”
― Clint Dempsey
“The Cottage was one of my favourite stadiums to play in. It was such an intimate atmosphere, and I’ve just got so many great memories of playing there.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I’m at peace with what I’ve been able to accomplish, not only domestically but abroad, and what I was able to do on the international level.”
― Clint Dempsey
“At the end of the day, everybody has the right to choose their own path in their career.”
― Clint Dempsey
“You know me: I’m a fighter.”
― Clint Dempsey
“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.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I want to do something really special in my life.”
― Clint Dempsey
“Just being in Europe was a grind.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I went through five different coaching changes at Fulham.”
― Clint Dempsey
“You can be on a good team and not play at all.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I grew up with the South American style of toca-toca.”
― Clint Dempsey
“There’s always room for quality players in a team. The trick as a manager is to figure out how to bring the best out of your team.”
― Clint Dempsey
“When people ask me what club I supported growing up, I didn’t really watch club soccer. The only channels I got had World Cups and the Copa America, so I gravitated toward the Latin American, South American style of game.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I like scoring against everybody.”
― Clint Dempsey
“Any goal is a good goal.”
― Clint Dempsey
“The players you really feel bad for are the younger players, who haven’t had a chance to experience playing in a World Cup.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I’ve played in a lot of important games in my life.”
― Clint Dempsey
“You go out and work hard and leave everything on the field. I think if you do that, you don’t have any regrets. You can go home and look at yourself in the mirror.”
― Clint Dempsey
“When you’re out there and playing, things are going fast. You’ve just got to trust your instincts and what got you there.”
― Clint Dempsey
“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.”
― Clint Dempsey
“Family comes together when you deal with hard times because it’s the only way you know how to cope.”
― Clint Dempsey
“It’s easier to destroy than it is to create, but I’ve always enjoyed the creative aspect of the game.”
― Clint Dempsey
“You always want to score as many goals as possible, but the most important thing is if the team does well.”
― Clint Dempsey
“Whatever position allows me to get touches in the attacking third, that’s the position I like the most.”
― Clint Dempsey
“It’s just staying focused and working hard; that’s all I’ve ever done. I was fortunate enough that things worked out for me. It doesn’t happen all the time, but I don’t let bumps in the road throw me off course.”
― Clint Dempsey
“You don’t want to hit your peak until late in the season.”
― Clint Dempsey
“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.”
― Clint Dempsey
“The most important thing is qualifying for the World Cup.”
― Clint Dempsey
“If you’re having sequences where you’re keeping 20 passes or more, then you’re only growing in confidence in the game.”
― Clint Dempsey
“You’re just grateful for every day, grateful for every game you get to play in because you never know when it’s going to be taken from you.”
― Clint Dempsey
“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.”
― Clint Dempsey
“It’s a compliment that people think that I’m a good player. I remember when people didn’t think I was good. And I remember being a rookie coming into the league with a big chip on my shoulder trying to prove myself.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I’ve always pushed myself hard.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I’m a kid from Nacogdoches.”
― Clint Dempsey
“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.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I got to experience being captain in the World Cup. For me, that was something special, and I’ll always kind of remember, but it’s never been a big thing for me to be captain.”
― Clint Dempsey
“Pressure brings the best out of people, or it can bring the worst out. It’s just how you use it.”
― Clint Dempsey
“The most important thing is the time you spend with the coach and what you all achieve.”
― Clint Dempsey
“For a number of years, I struggled and put distance between God and me. But He was faithful and patient and provided gradual healing and strength.”
― Clint Dempsey
“Now my faith in Christ is what gives me confidence for the future. I know that through both good times and bad, He is faithful and will watch over me.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I play to the best of my abilities and am thankful for the many opportunities and amazing success He has given me. Through it all, I want to do right, not make mistakes, and live a life that is pleasing to Him.”
― Clint Dempsey
“I have a lot of great memories of playing in Dallas as a kid, and I’m proud to represent Nacogdoches.”
― Clint Dempsey
“It’s always great to be home and play in front of family and friends, especially for a big game.”
― Clint Dempsey
“In college, I joined a team Bible study. God’s Word brought me peace and a desire for a relationship with Him.”
― Clint Dempsey
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