Two pairs of words have been prominent in the reaction to the news that Liverpool seem poised to sign Clint Dempsey once they remember to get the go-ahead from Fulham. One of those pairs has no business being bandied about, viz. Charlie Adam. The other pair is more pertinent: Brendan Rodgers.

The reference to Adam has been made by people who believe Liverpool have been seduced by one fine season into coveting a player who cannot reasonably be expected to bring Liverpool nearer to the level they aspire to play at. Such people should be sworn at like cold callers.

Because although last season was Dempsey's most productive, he has been an excellent performer in the Premier League for the best part of five years. Furthermore, where Adam's most obvious failing is a lack of mobility for which his attempts to atone lead him to strain, lunge and generally become clumsy, Dempsey is a genuine dynamo, the second most prolific tackler among forwards in the Premier League for each of the past three seasons and covering more ground than prize horse manure.

Tenacity and energy are Dempsey's first two defining traits and also the founding blocks of the style that Rodgers will seek to build, if his old Swansea City side were anything to go by. The drive that has already propelled Dempsey from his relatively disadvantaged roots in a small town in East Texas to the top of the MLS and then the Premier League ensure that he will not be rendered as meek by Anfield expectations as, say, Stewart Downing and young Jordan Henderson appear to have been.

This is a ferocious competitor who has played matches with a broken jaw and gone into challenges hard enough to fracture John Terry's cheekbone. A seasoned American international, he will be fazed neither by the stature of Liverpool nor the amount of off-the-ball work that Rodgers will demand.

That is the foundation. Dempsey, of course, offers much more on top. His well-timed surges, dangerous shooting and knack for the audacious and unpredictable mean he could help overcome the dependency on the undependable Luis Suárez for goals. His intelligence and instincts make him adaptable: while it is easy to see him slotting in on either side of the front of a Swansea-style 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2, at Fulham he also proved his usefulness as a shape-shifting No9 long before Cesc Fábregas showcased the role at Euro 2012.

Dempsey would deserve to be greeted at Liverpool by the same sort of optimism that Joe Cole's arrival inspired a couple of years ago: and since he is a more intelligent and influential footballer than Cole, the feelgood factor should last a lot longer. At 29, he hardly represents the far future of the club but he could play a significant role in setting it on the right path.