Danny Murphy has described his former Fulham teammate Clint Dempsey as a "special player".

The American international netted after 30 seconds as USA beat Ghana 2-1 at the World Cup on Monday, and Murphy talked up the talents of the 31-year-old.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Murphy said: "He's a special player because he's not naturally gifted but he looks [as though he is] because of his application.

"He's a Texan boy and he's got the heart to go with it. He's probably the best trainer I ever played with fantastic application."

Dempsey currently plays for the Seattle Sounders.