Kevin Keegan vs Clint Dempsey: Stats Compared
Forward, England (born 1951, retired 1984) · Forward, United States (born 1983, retired 2018)
Ask any fan to rank Kevin Keegan above or below Clint Dempsey and you will get a passionate answer. Separated by their years at the top, each defined the football of their own generation. The raw numbers read 240 goals in 700 outings for Kevin Keegan (0.34/game), versus 180 in 550 for Clint Dempsey (0.33/game). Assists were not reliably tracked for much of their careers, which makes the playmaking comparison an imperfect one; where records exist, Kevin Keegan is credited with 0 and Clint Dempsey with 90. In major honours Kevin Keegan collected 6 — headlined by 1× European Cup (1977) — whereas Clint Dempsey amassed 2, led by 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014). Across the 1970s and the modern era respectively, their flair-driven and explosive styles captured the spirit of very different footballing times. Club journeys add another layer, with Kevin Keegan reaching his representative peak around 1978 across Scunthorpe United, Liverpool, Hamburger SV, Southampton, Newcastle United and Clint Dempsey doing so around 2012 with New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, Seattle Sounders. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
186 words · comparison angle: era
Player profiles
A two-time Ballon d'Or winner, Keegan was English football's first true superstar of the television era, winning the European Cup with Liverpool before dazzling in the Bundesliga.
“An energetic, tirelessly hard-running forward whose enthusiasm and clever movement made him far more effective than his modest frame suggested.”
The first American to score in three separate World Cups, Dempsey became the first US-born player to captain a Premier League team and remains one of the country's most decorated forwards.
“A tenacious, technically gifted forward whose late runs into the box and clever improvisation produced some of American soccer's most memorable goals.”
Head-to-head stats
Career goals by season
Representative career seasons — goals per season for each player across their documented clubs.
Attribute radar
Attribute ratings are peak-era, 0–100. Different positions naturally skew the profile.
Attribute comparison
Trophy breakdown
- 1× European Cup (1977)
- 3× English First Division (1973, 1976, 1977)
- 2× UEFA Cup (1973, 1976)
- 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)
- 1× MLS Cup (2016)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1968 Professional debut for Scunthorpe United
- 1977 Won European Cup with Liverpool
- 1973 Won UEFA Cup with Liverpool
- 1978 Reached the peak of his powers at Hamburger SV
- 1984 Retired after a final spell at Newcastle United
- Finished his career with 240 goals in 700 appearances and 6 major honours. Finished his career with 240 goals in 700 appearances and 6 major honours.
- 2004 Professional debut for New England Revolution
- 2014 Won MLS Supporters' Shield with Seattle Sounders
- 2016 Won MLS Cup with Seattle Sounders
- 2012 Reached the peak of his powers at Fulham
- 2018 Retired after a final spell at Seattle Sounders
- Finished his career with 180 goals in 550 appearances and 2 major honours. Finished his career with 180 goals in 550 appearances and 2 major honours.
The verdict
Taking goals, assists, silverware and overall profile together, Kevin Keegan takes it by a clear margin.
Kevin Keegan edges it (a clear margin)
