AMSTERDAM – US star Clint Dempsey has become the second American to repeat as Fulham Player of the Season, easily edging out runners-up Moussa Dembélé and Houston-born Brede Hangeland in the supporter balloting, the results of which were released Thursday.
Carrying on the "Fulhamerica" nickname from 2006 and 2007 winner Brian McBride, Dempsey finished fourth in the EPL goal chart with 17 strikes and added a team-best six assists. His fine work helped the Cottagers end the season ninth in the EPL table, just the third top-10 finish in England's honor division in club history. He broke a few records on the season, including McBride's career mark for EPL tallies by an American and Louis Saha's old club standard for Premier League goals.
Dempsey established both records at 50 when he fired his Fulham half-century strike in a win against Sunderland on May 6. The Texas native also netted three times in the FA Cup and added another three in Europa League play, taking his club total across all competitions to 60 since joining the southwest London side from the New England Revolution in January of 2007.
Hangeland, meanwhile, became the second defender born in America to finish third for the Fulham award, following 2007 bronze medalist Carlos Bocanegra.
