Landon Donovan Comes out of Retirement to Join Club Leon
January 13, 2018Former U.S. men's national team and Los Angeles Galaxy star Landon Donovan has come out of retirement to join Liga MX side Club Leon.
The club announced the news via its Twitter account on Friday:
The 35-year-old retired from the game in 2014 before temporarily returning to the field to play nine matches for the Galaxy in 2016.
Donovan tweeted his excitement at the move:
Per Goal's Jon Arnold, he tweeted: "I loved the city, it's the best fans. Club Leon is a historic & winning team. I don't believe in walls. I want to go to Mexico, wear green & win trophies with Leon. We'll see each other very soon!"
ESPN FC's Cesar Hernandez is eagerly anticipating watching the veteran in action:
Goal USA's Ives Galarcep was sceptical about the move but hopes Donovan can display the kind of form he did earlier in his career:
Ives Galarcep @SoccerByIvesLandon Donovan always had plenty of fans in Mexico, but this still feels like the most drawn-out hoax ever. Here's hoping he can recapture some of his old magic, and at the very least hopefully it means the return of those hilarious Mexican lotto commercials w/the fake mustache. https://t.co/efKrutmbVh
Donovan won six MLS Cups during his career, and the league's MVP trophy was named after him following his first retirement, having racked up 145 goals and 136 assists in the division during his time with the Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes.
His career also took him to Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich and Everton.
On the international stage, the forward earned 157 caps for the United States, netting a joint-record 57 goals and winning four CONCACAF Gold Cups.