Foxborough, Mass. - Major League Soccer announced today that New England Revolution midfielder/forward Clint Dempsey has been transferred to Fulham FC of the English Premier League. Dempsey's appeal for a United Kingdom work permit from the British Home Office was successful following a review panel hearing in London on Tuesday. Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not announced.
Dempsey has played all three of his professional seasons in New England after the Revolution drafted him out of Furman University in the first round (eighth overall) in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft. In 71 career games with the Revs, Dempsey scored 25 goals and added 14 assists. He was a two-time MLS RadioShack Best XI honoree and a three-time MLS All-Star selection.
"We're pleased this opportunity worked out for Clint. We wish him nothing but the best as he heads to the Premiership," Revolution head coach Steve Nicol said. "He has been a tremendous player for us. Clint developed his game a great deal during his time with the Revolution. It's a great credit to him and the level of play in MLS that Fulham pushed so hard to get him."
The dynamic attacking midfielder/forward made in immediate mark in MLS, garnering 2004 Rookie of the Year honors after scoring seven goals in 24 games. In his second season, Dempsey netted 10 goals and added nine assists as the Revolution won the Eastern Conference Championship and advanced to MLS Cup 2005. Last season, the Nacogdoches, Texas, native scored eight goals and added four assists while playing in only 21 games, and again helped the Revs reach the league's title game, MLS Cup 2006.
Also in 2006, Dempsey was chosen to represent the United States at the FIFA World Cup in Germany in June. There, Dempsey was the only U.S. player to score a goal, doing so in dramatic fashion on Thursday, June 22. With the Americans trailing Ghana 1-0, Dempsey emphatically converted a DaMarcus Beasley cross in the 43rd minute to draw the U.S. even, and although the U.S. ultimately fell 2-1 to Ghana, Dempsey's goal and his celebratory exuberance were chronicled all over the world, vaulting Dempsey into the international spotlight.
Overall, Dempsey has earned 23 caps with the U.S. National Team, and has scored six goals - including a team-high four in 2005.
Dempsey ranks fourth in New England club history in goals (25), third in game-winning goals (8) and fouls suffered (201), tied for fifth in game-winning assists (5), and sixth in shots (174) and shots on goal (95).
Fulham FC, located in London, currently sits in 12th place in the EPL league table with 27 points and a 6-7-9 overall record after 22 games played. Dempsey will join fellow Americans Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra - both U.S. teammates of Dempsey's at the 2006 World Cup - at Craven Cottege. Simon Elliot, formerly of the Columbus Crew and Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS and the A-League Boston Bulldogs, also plays for Fulham.
The Revolution kicks off the 2007 season on April 7 against the Chicago Fire in Bridgeview, Ill., before hosting league newcomer Toronto FC - featuring former Revs midfielder Jose Cancela and former D.C. United forward Alecko Eskandarian - on Saturday, April 14 in the second game of a special doubleheader with the U.S. Women's National Team at Gillette Stadium. Season ticket packages - which include tickets to the Women's National Team game, as well tickets to games at Gillette Stadium as part of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup - are on sale now. Call 1-877-GET-REVS for more information.
