Americans Abroad: Dempsey's absence leads American plots as European seasons start

People keep wondering where Clint Dempsey, after all of his success, gets the inspiration to maintain the permanent chip on his shoulder.

Well, events like the ones that have transpired in the last week certainly play a part.

Even after a season in which he scored 23 goals in all competitions, with his 17 league goals tied for fourth-most in the Premier League and accounting for more than a third of Fulham's total, Dempsey did not command the interest or respect in the transfer market he might have expected as he entered the final year of his contract with the club, and, as a result, he has been frozen out at a place where just months ago he was considered a hero.

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