DEMPSEY'S LIBRARY

Caught up with Clint Dempsey in the hotel atrium as he sat reading The Children of Húrin, the completion of a tale started by Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien and finished by his son after his death. The story takes place in the time before the Hobbits, and sets up many of the story lines found in the Lord of The Rings series, something that has long captivated Dempsey.

"I've always been a big fan of the movies, but I never read the books.
I'm starting at the beginning so I can learn as much as I can, and will work my way through to The Return of the King. There's some really cool stories here, and it's interesting reading about the different adventures that take place. There's maps, legends, a pronunciation guide and stuff like that. This book is all about keeping on battling through adversity."

It's not only the story that interests him, but the chance to put aside everything else going on.

"I didn't read that much growing up, but now I love it. It gives me chance to escape into my own world for a while."