Clint Dempsey insists he is hungry for more after becoming the leading American goalscorer in the English Premier League.

The Fulham star scored 17 goals last season (23 in all competitions) to surpass the 50-goal mark in England's top flight but now he has reached an elite level, he wants to build on that and become an even better player.

"It's a gift and a curse," Dempsey told Sports Illustrated.

"I'm looking at players that are way above me. You look at [Lionel] Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the totals they have, and you compare yourself with them to drive and push you even further.

"Yeah, it's good what I've done. I tied for fourth with [Emmanuel] Adebayor, but then you look at [Wayne] Rooney, [Robin] van Persie and [Sergio] Aguero and how well they did, and you want to be among them.

"You're able to be happy about what you're doing, but you're like, 'Damn, I've still gotta go further.' Hopefully I can keep going and maybe get to that level."

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