Teddy Sheringham vs Clint Dempsey: Stats Compared
Striker, England (born 1966, retired 2008) · Forward, United States (born 1983, retired 2018)
Few debates split football fans quite like Teddy Sheringham versus Clint Dempsey. Honours are what separate great players from trophy-laden legends, and both qualify. Across his senior career Teddy Sheringham notched 320 goals in 900 appearances (0.36 per game), while Clint Dempsey recorded 180 in 550 (0.33 per game). Add playmaking to the mix and Teddy Sheringham laid on 130 goals, Clint Dempsey 90. Trophy counts give Teddy Sheringham 4 and Clint Dempsey 2, with 1× UEFA Champions League (1999) and 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014) the standout honours respectively. One lifted trophies through ruthless reliability, the other through mercurial moments that decided finals. Their routes to the top were distinct: Teddy Sheringham built his reputation across Millwall, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, West Ham United, Colchester United, peaking around 1999, while Clint Dempsey reached his defining level around 2012 after spells with New England Revolution, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur, Seattle Sounders. Picking between them says as much about the picker as the players.
167 words · comparison angle: trophies
Player profiles
A cerebral, late-developing striker, Sheringham scored the injury-time equaliser in Manchester United's 1999 Champions League final and remains the Premier League's oldest ever goalscorer.
“An intelligent, deep-dropping forward whose clever hold-up play and vision created space for quicker strike partners.”
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× UEFA Champions League (1999)
- 2× Premier League (1999, 2000)
- 1× FA Cup (1999)
- 1× MLS Supporters' Shield (2014)
- 1× MLS Cup (2016)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1984 Professional debut for Millwall
- 1999 Won UEFA Champions League with Manchester United
- 1999 Won FA Cup with Manchester United
- 1999 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2008 Retired after a final spell at Colchester United
- Finished his career with 320 goals in 900 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 320 goals in 900 appearances and 4 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
The numbers give Teddy Sheringham the lead — a clear margin, courtesy of a sharper goalscoring record.
Teddy Sheringham edges it (a clear margin)
