No soccer player is synonymous with the city of Los Angeles quite like Landon Donovan
Throughout the Redlands native’s nearly 20-year career in professional soccer, Donovan’s every achievement was shared with his hometown. Whether it was roaring cheers at bars across Los Angeles during his breakout performance at the 2002 FIFA World Cup or the parade of supporters that marched down Hollywood Boulevard after his legendary goal against Algeria in 2010, Donovan’s successes belonged to the City of Angels.
When he moved to the LA Galaxy in 2005
, Donovan cemented his status as a civic icon by helping his
hometown club win four MLS Cups, while becoming the MLS all-time leader in goals and assists before hanging up his boots in 2014
.
Following a career full of marathon seasons and travel across the globe, Donovan has found peace in Los Angeles as he contemplates his next step professionally.
“At this point, it’s been over a year, and I’m comfortably settling in. I think most people when they retire from a job that they’ve had consistently, there’s a feeling that you need to do something right away to fill that void,” said Donovan. “The first half of last year, there’s was some anxiety in trying to figure out what was going to be next. Then I was able to let go of that and start to appreciate to do what I want when I want, and just take the time to relax and not do certain things all the time. I’m at the point now where I’m ready to take the next step. I’m glad that I didn’t commit to anything major professionally, and it’s been nice to enjoy life in a different way and enjoy LA life in a different way.”
Despite stepping out of the spotlight, Donovan’s professional life post soccer has been very eventful.
Since his retirement, the former Galaxy star has dabbled in a variety of professions from
being an analyst for Fox Sports 1
to a pair of coaching gigs including consulting the U.S. U-20s during their World Cup appearance and
managing the MLS Homegrown side at the Chipotle Homegrown Game
.
Retirement has offered Donovan a chance to learn new aspects of the beautiful game while also escaping its rigidities.
Gone are the daily training sessions and stringent nutrition regiments designed to keep him prepared for a match every weekend. Gone is the worry about the perception of going out and enjoying life after a poor performance or a loss and the apprehension of living up to the expectations of his legions of supporters.
“I can be myself around people, and I’m not worried about that part of it,” said Donovan, who lists Beverly Hills, Downtown LA, Hollywood and San Diego as his new haunts. “I can just enjoy and appreciate the fans that have been supporting me for so long whereas, in the past, I was more hesitant to go out in public and come out of my shell a little bit. Now I can just talk to people and appreciate what they are because I’m in the same spot that they’re in. I’m just a fan of the game just like they are. It’s been nice for me.”
Donovan’s ability to see the city with fresh eyes has also provided the soccer legend with perspective about himself and his place in the Los Angeles sports landscape.
Despite being long considered the greatest male soccer player that the United States has ever produced, Donovan long shied away from such talk during his playing days. However, in his retirement, Donovan has been able to discover just what he truly meant to his hometown and the children who grew up emulating his every move.
“When you play in a city for 10 years, and you grow up in a city, it helps you identify with a city, and I think it helps the city identify with you. Rarely in sports now do athletes stay with a team for a significant amount of time anymore,” said Donovan. “That’s why [Lakers star Kobe Bryant] is being treated the way that he’s been treated now with a fully deserving final tour because he’s been a part of the fabric of the city for so long. I do feel the same way; I walk around, and people identify me as LA.
“As someone who loves this city and cares about this city, I had the added benefit of growing up here. I’m very fortunate that I was able to play here. I love this place. I love LA. I love California. I’m able to identify well with this city, and I feel like people identify me as someone who is Los Angeles.”
Donovan will always be a sports icon in his hometown, but the game that he devoted his entire life to doesn’t define who the 34-year-old is anymore. Over the last year,
Donovan married girlfriend Hannah Bartell
in a quiet ceremony in San Diego and
welcomed his first child, Talon, in January
.
The birth of his first son was a particularly emotional experience for Donovan and his wife, who were showered with well wishes from across the globe. After spending much of his life worried about his performance on the soccer field, Donovan has found renewed focus in his new family, and there’s no place that he’d rather build that family than in Los Angeles.
“A child that grows up in LA is unbelievably fortunate. Having been in the soccer world for almost 20 years, you realize that there a lot of parts of the world that are not as fortunate as we are here in Los Angeles. Children here are incredibly privileged, and that will be a big task to make sure that Talon is aware of that,” Donovan said. “For me, everything that I do in my life, I give my all to, and I try to be successful. For the most part, that has been the case. [Fatherhood] is no different; I want to be the absolute best father that I can be, and I want to provide a life for him that he wants to live and that he is proud to live. I want to do the absolute best that I can do and like anything with practice and hard work, you can be successful.
“That’s my number one goal right now.”
With newfound domestic tranquility, Donovan has begun to turn his attention to his next step professionally. Just where he ends up, be it in broadcasting, coaching or ownership, remains a mystery as Donovan has not yet decided on the next stage of his career.
But no matter what Donovan decides to do, the U.S. soccer icon is confident that he’ll be able to bring the same drive that made him a success on the pitch to his personal and professional life.
“There are a lot of things that I’m passionate about: One is being a husband, and the other is being a father, but I’m also passionate about my professional career. I’m excited for what comes next in my professional life, and that suits me both spiritually and emotionally,” Donovan said. “Doing that well will make me a better husband and father just like being a great husband, and a great father helps me in my professional career. All those things are important to me and I will do my best to my complete ability. I’ll make sure that I’m patient, and I’ll wait for the right opportunity and do what feels right.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog atLAGalaxy.com/Insiderand contact him atLAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
