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
I like being able to look in the mirror and seeing a smile on my face.
When the team plays better, individuals play better as well.
I like trying to be creative.
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.
I've always put pressure on myself to perform well.
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.
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.
Any point you can get is an important one.
We didn't have money put away in the bank for a college fund; soccer was our lottery ticket, our gamble.
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 grew up and went from Nintendo to Super Nintendo to N64 to GameCube to Nintendo Wii to Xbox - I've always enjoyed playing games.
The moments that matter most are with your family, your friends. They are the realest moments.
I was a mama's boy.
It has always been my dream to make it as a pro.
You've got to do what's best for you and what you want to accomplish in your career.
I'm grateful to Fulham for allowing me to come back on loan, where it all kind of started for me in Europe.
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.
Saying you shouldn't miss a beat is easier said than done.
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.
I liked rap from a young age, from listening to MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice.
You always have to stay motivated and try to make the most of where you're at.
At certain times during your career, at different ages, you feel better than others.
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.
It's always kind of a weird thing when you come back from an injury, especially with your heart.
I see every year as a year where you've got to prove yourself.
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.
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.
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.
I do think you can't be as good as the person next to you to play: you have to be better.
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.
Maybe the law don't always handle things, but that doesn't mean things don't get handled.
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.
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.
When you come in with the national team, there's an adjustment period. Sometimes you don't have time to adjust.
I love soccer. That's my passion. That's what I make a living doing.
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.
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.
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.
I'd rather be someone that's underrated than overrated.
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.
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.
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.
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.'
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.
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.
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.
My parents were crazy. They just wanted to do everything they could for their kids.
There were other clubs that I had options to go to, but Fulham has always kind of been like home to me.
