The longest serving player in the current squad is in a rich vein of goalscoring form recently with 10 goals in his last 11 games, but it is also his all round contribution to the side that shows his importance to the way both Fulham and his national team play.
With the transfer window still open, and all the talk at Fulham and in the media surrounding the futures of Bobby Zamora, Andy Johnson and to some extent Damian Duff and Chris Baird, is the American get the notice that his recent displays deserve.
Year on Year and season to season, has seen Dempsey's play improve and his goalscoring contribution increase. Maybe it has to be said that he was Coleman's best bit of business when he signed Dempsey for the Cottagers from MLS side New England Revolution for £2million in the January transfer window of 2007. A bargain it must be said when you look at how he has developed since arriving on these shores, but at the time, it was the biggest price to be ever paid for a player from the MLS system. What price his value now??
The end of that initial season saw the likeable Texan score his first goal in Fulham colours, at home against Liverpool, a win that all but guaranteed Fulham's survival in the Premier League that season. He is currently Fulham's all time leading scorer in the Premier League and the way he is playing in front of goal, there is no doubt there is more to come. However at 28, it could be said he is reaching his prime years, but for Fulham, they will hope there are many more to come as Dempsey entered the professional ranks later on in his life and as such may be able to go on longer at the top level.There is no doubting his importance to Fulham at the moment and also to his national team where he is one of the leading players alongside Landon Donovan.
But as I said in the title, is he one of the most underrated players in the Premier League? I for one feel that he is, and with his ability to score all types of goals, be it with head, foot or from long range, he will constantly remain a threat going forwards. Added to that is his ability to keep hold of the ball and work for the team, he would no doubt be a great addition to many a side. He himself has expressed that he would love to play Champions League Football, well who wouldn't, and I would be in no doubt that he would score goals and play well on the biggest European stage, but what price would it take for one of the bigger sides in England or Europe for that matter to prise him away from Fulham? I certainly hope that it does not happen, but am pretty sure he would command a starting place in any of the so called big 4 sides at the moment, but hopefully we will be seeing the American star in the white of Fulham for years to come, where there is no doubt that he is on his way to legend status at the club, if he is not there already.
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