Donovan returns from retirement to rejoin LA Galaxy for 2016 season
Landon Donovan is back.
Almost two years since announcing his retirement from the beautiful game, Donovan has returned to the playing field in Major League Soccer, with the iconic U.S. soccer star announcing Thursday that he's re-signed with the LA Galaxy for the remainder of the 2016 season.
He returns as a non-Designated Player.
Donovan, 34, rejoins the league he left in glory two years ago, having set the all-time record for most goals (144) and most assists (136), decorated with six MLS Cup titles to his name.
He explained the reasons for his comeback on Facebook:
Two weeks ago, I was working as an analyst on the LA Galaxy vs. Vancouver Whitecaps match and during that game, the Galaxy suffered injuries to three players: Jelle Van Damme, Steven Gerrard and Gyasi Zardes. Over the next few days, Nigel De Jong was transferred to Galatasaray and news broke that Gyasi would be out for the rest of the season. Since my retirement, I have remained in close contact with many of the staff and players on the Galaxy. I spoke with some of them that week and they jokingly asked if I was ready to make a return to the field to help fill some of the void left by the injuries and departures. I reminded them that I haven’t played a meaningful soccer game in almost two years and I certainly couldn’t fill the holes left by those players.
Over the ensuing days, I began to think about their inquiries and it struck me that perhaps this is something I should consider. I care so deeply about the Galaxy organization, and I believe I could help in a small way to aid the team in its quest for a 6th MLS championship. Further, the opportunity to have my son Talon on the field with me after a game was a feeling that I would never be able to replicate.
I then had a candid conversation with Bruce Arena and we began down the path of deciding whether this made sense. We both agreed that if this was going to happen, the expectations would be minimal and he would use me in situations that made sense for the team. I’ve spent a lot of time speaking with my family and close friends over the past several days, and we all agreed that this would be a wonderful opportunity and a win-win situation for everyone.
Snubbed by Jurgen Klinsmann for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Donovan initially brought an end to his club career by helping the Galaxy win its fifth MLS Cup, defeating the New England Revolution on Dec. 7, 2014, then hanging up his boots.
He had revealed his struggle with depression in 2013, telling reporters he was feeling "pretty burned out" and subsequently took a break from soccer before returning in time for the 2014 season, which proved his last, until now.
Related: 3 ways the LA Galaxy could utilize a returning Donovan
Donovan rejoins an LA Galaxy team that has changed tremendously since his departure. While Robbie Keane remains as the club's main goal-scoring threat, the midfield has been reimagined entirely, with Giovani Dos Santos and Steven Gerrard providing the touch of star-power that the club has now ridden to glory.
His return to the fold coincides with a time in the Galaxy's season where wing options are short, as Gyasi Zardes recovers from a broken foot.
As such, Donovan is expected to feature in some regard down the final stretch of the season, though manager Bruce Arena might be hard-pressed to get maximum minutes out of the player after his 18-month sabbatical.
Donovan is a free agent under the current CBA, according to Alexi Lalas, and can rejoin the LA Galaxy without having to go through the allocation process as a result. He was not, however, a free agent at the time of his retirement.
How Donovan rewrites his own story remains to be seen, but he has more than earned the chance to come back on his own terms.