Clint, are you a fan of wrestling and in particularly John Cena? I've seen you celebrate using the same trademarks he uses!?
It’s in reference to ‘you can’t see me’. I wasn’t doing it because the wrestlers were doing it, just 'you can’t see me' because I scored.
I did grow up watching wrestling with Hulk Hogan and those guys. I’m not really in to it as much as I was when I was a kid.
Every now and then when you flick through the channels you see what’s going on but my celebration wasn’t a reference to John Cena.
Clint, who is the best player you have played against in the Premier League?
That’s a tough one – I don’t know in the Premier League. I would say the best player I’ve ever played against was Zidane.
I played against him when he was at Real Madrid and I was in the MLS.
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What is it like to score at the World Cup Finals? Is it a better sensation than scoring in the Premier League?
Yes. There is so much build up to a World Cup Finals. With the qualifying, the fact that it only comes around every four years and then you have just three games to get the job done and advance out of the group.
Every goal is so crucial and to score for your country in such an important game – I don’t think there’s a better feeling that that.
A World Cup goal is comparable to scoring a winning goal in a Premier League game to help your team win. That’s a similar feeling.
ClintvLiverpoolClint, what do you feel is your favourite match you've played since joining Fulham?
I’d have to say the most memorable was the match we played against Liverpool at home when I scored to get the points that helped keep Fulham up.
There are quite a few fellow Americans playing in the Premier League now. Who do you like to play against and who would you most like to see make a permanent move from MLS in the States?
It’s good to play against any American in the Premier League. They’ve worked hard to get where they are and play in one of the best leagues in the world.
Any time you get to see someone you’ve played international football with is always a good time. It’s cool to play against someone who has worked as hard as you have to get where you are.
I couldn’t say who would be the next to come over because I haven’t been following the MLS that much so I can’t really say.
Clint, out of all the Fulham players, who would win a Fifa tournament on the XBox/PS3?
I don’t play much. I used to play more before I had a kid and now I have another one on the way.
I would say some of the Reserve boys are good and Danny the kitman is good. They have a set up in the kitroom where they get some games going.
In terms of the First Team boys I know Bobby plays and maybe AJ and Duff. You hear them talking about it.
What is your favourite part of living in London/England?
My favourite part is playing in the Premier League. That’s the reason we are here but besides that I would say getting a chance to learn about a different culture and get outside of your comfort zone.
If you spend your whole life in the States, to try and live somewhere else, you learn more about the world and that there is more out there. There’s a different way of looking at things than just the way you do in the States.
Clint, if you could sign ANY two players for Fulham, who would they be?
I’d sign Messi and Diego Forlan because he got the MVP at the World Cup.
How did it feel to score for the USA vs England?
It’s good to score against anyone at the World Cup. To score the goal that got us a draw and a point we needed was special for me.
There was so much build up to the game between USA and England; it was good to step up to the occasion.
Even though it wasn’t the greatest goal they all count the same and it helped us get the points needed to progress to the next round.
Clint, when will you be releasing another song? 'Don’t Tread' is surprisingly good and I wouldn't mind hearing more!
No, I don’t really see myself doing any music in the future. I was doing it as a hobby back in the States. I got the opportunity to do a track and it was something I’d always wanted to do but I was never trying to make it in the industry as a rapper.
I got the opportunity to work with an artist I looked up to from Texas, Big Hawk. The sad thing is shortly after we did the video, he was killed, so I think that had something to do with me pushing away from music.
I was trying to focus on football and a family not the whole music scene.
Clint, out of all the players at FFC which would be the best in a skills contest?
The best in a skills contest – KG’s [Kagisho Dikgacoi] got some cool skills. Yeah, I’d say KG – he’s pretty skillful.
What would you rather win - the World cup with the USA, Champions League with Fulham or the Premier league with Fulham?
I’d rather win the World Cup with the USA because it only comes around every four years and it’s the pinnacle.
Why were you sporting a black eye in the match against Juventus?
It seems like I always have a black eye! I think we played United before the Juventus game and when I went to head the ball my eye hit Vidic’s head - that gave me a black eye.
Clint, what was the most emotional match in your life so far?
That’s a good one. Pretty much all the ones we had In the World Cup were pretty emotional because we conceded first in every game.
Even though we only played four games it felt like we’d played half a season because every game was a must win, in every game we conceded first, even in the last game we ended up losing to Ghana.
All those games were the most emotional because there is so much pressure on you to perform and you have to step up to the plate. Not every player is guaranteed that they’ll play in that many World Cups and that was my second one.
As my second World Cup there was a lot more pressure on me to do well as more of a veteran. For sure they were the most emotional games.
Was the World Cup draining and how did you recover ahead of the new season?
It was tough because to go out the way we did in overtime and concede the goals we did was definitely frustrating.
Also, I found out on the day of the game that my grandfather had passed away so after the game, the next day, I flew back. Everything happens for a reason and I was able to make his funeral.
Then, before I came back for the new season, my Dad had to be rushed to the emergency room in the hospital because he had a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot on the lung. If we hadn’t of caught that in time it could have potentially been fatal.
Everything is fine now but it was definitely a tough summer and that’s why I got back a little bit late, because I was making sure my Dad was okay before I came back.
What do you do to relax on your days off?
I play with my daughter a lot. She’s getting older now so we go outside a lot for long walks in the park. We just try to be outside and that’s kind of what I do on my days off.
What do you like to watch on the box? Are you a fan of cooking programmes, a TV series or do you watch sport?
My guilty pleasure is watching Jersey Shore! We download them off iTunes and that show is hilarious.
We’re getting them in advance every Thursday and we can’t wait to watch them. We watch them on the laptop and then there’s X Factor.
My wife got me in to X Factor and it’s cool to see people come from nothing and try to make something of themselves. Or people who have worked really hard all their life on their craft trying to progress.
For away matches my wife will record the show and we’ll watch it together and they have ones on Sunday too. They’re the two shows my wife and I look forward to watching.
You travel a lot – do you collect air miles? If so, where is your favourite holiday destination to use those air miles?
I try to collect air miles but most of the time I use them to help pay for flights for other members of my family to visit wherever I am.
I don’t really go on vacations to be honest. Every summer I probably get 21 days off so I know I’m going to spend 10 days in Texas and 10 days in North Carolina.
My family is from Texas but my wife and I have a place in North Carolina so I know what my summer is going to be. Until the day that I’m no longer playing international football there’s not much chance to go on vacation.
You and Eddie [Johnson] are good mates - tell us something we don’t know about Eddie?
What do people not know about Eddie? He likes to sing a lot. Even though he doesn’t have the best voice he’s really into music and likes to sing.
Eddie watches the X Factor too and he gets emotional when he sees people do well that have had a tough life. He tears up even though he’s a tough guy. I know he’s got a big heart and a lot of people probably don’t know that about him.
What does Clint Dempsey want for Christmas this year?
What I want for Christmas is a healthy boy. My wife is due in November so that would be the best Christmas present – a healthy and happy boy.
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