Clint Dempsey Brings Kate Abdo To Tears With Story About His Youth In Texas

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In the first episode of their new Paramount+ series Kickin’ It, United States Men’s National Soccer Team legend Clint Dempsey brought host Kate Abdo to tears with his story about growing up playing soccer in Texas.

Widely considered to be the greatest American men’s soccer player of all time, Dempsey got emotional when wondering what he could have become if he had the proper coaching.

“You talk about being from a place that you should’ve never made it in the sport. Man, I’m from nowhere. I love where I’m from — Nacogdoches. I’m very prideful of where I come from in Texas. It’s a rural town, not known for soccer. People always looked at you crazy for the sport you played,” Dempsey begins.

“Why aren’t you playing baseball, football basketball?” he continued. “It’s just what I love to do. And I wish I had someone like you, coach [looking at Thierry Henry], that could help me more. I had great coaches — they helped me. But, like, the coaches you had — something like that. What could I have really done? I did okay. You know what I’m saying — but not, like… But I’m at peace.”

During his 14-year-long professional career, Dempsey played for Premier League clubs such as Fulham (scoring 50 goals) and Tottenham Hotspur (29 goals). He also spent time in Major League Soccer with the New England Revolution at the start of his career and the Seattle Sounders at the end.

With 141 appearances for the United States Men’s National Team, Dempsey is the fourth most-capped player in the history of the program. His 57 goals for the United States also put him tied for first with Landon Donovan.

While Dempsey may feel as though he could have achieved more during his playing career, we can only hope he knows the impact he had on a generation that has truly taken American soccer to the next level on the international stage with the various iconic goals he scored.

The first episode of Kickin’ It, which also features Charlie Davies and Maurice Edu alongside Dempsey and Abdo, is now streaming on Paramount+.