Greenville, S.C. -- Former Furman Paladin Clint Dempsey has been voted the Futbol de Primera U.S. National Team Player of the Year, it was announced on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old midfielder and forward, who plays his club football for Fulham FC in London, England, received 99 first place votes and 375 points to edge goalkeeper Tim Howard and midfielder Landon Donovan to claim the honor. The player of the year citation is the second for Dempsey who first garnered the award in 2006 when it was known as the Honda Player of the Year.
A 2002 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-America choice who led Furman to a Southern Conference title and NCAA round of 16 appearances, Dempsey has tallied four goals in 12 appearances for the United States this season and bagged 23 goals in 80 international matches during his career. He netted his fifth goal of campaign this past weekend in Fulham's 2-0 triumph over Wigan Athletic to tie Brian McBride for most Barclay's Premier League goals among Americans with 36.
In April, Dempsey registered a pair of goals versus Bolton Wanderers to become Fulham's all-time leading scorer during the club's Premier League era.
The Nacogdoches, Texas, native has netted goals in each of the United States' last two World Cup appearances, scoring versus Ghana in 2006 and against England during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.