Landon Donovan can claim to be the best American football player in the United States due to his many outstanding achievements with both his club and the national team. The legendary USMNT player, who played primarily for the Los Angeles Galaxy, is the second most capped American player of all time and a four-time winner of the American Football Athlete of the Year award.
Biography (Age)
Donovan was born Landon Timothy Donovan, one of five children to Donna Kenney-Cash and Tim Donovan on March 4, 1982 in Ontario, California. He and his siblings were raised by his mother, who worked as a special education teacher.
As a young child, Donovan became interested in playing football after watching his older brother play. At the age of six, his mother allowed him to join a youth league where he notably scored seven goals in his first game. Donovan then spent several years playing at Rancho Cucamonga for a California club called Cal Heat. His performances there earned him a spot in the US Olympic development program for junior football in 1997. Two years later, at age 17, Landon Donovan enrolled at the prestigious IMG Academy athletic college in Bradenton, Florida.
Landon Donovan’s stay at IMG was cut short as he was able to land a six-year contract with German Bayer Leverkusen a few months after entering school. The footballer rose quickly in Germany and joined the Leverkusen reserve team where he scored 6 goals in 20 appearances during the 1999-2000 season. The following year, Donovan became homesick as he struggled to adjust to life in Germany. He managed 3 goals in 9 appearances in the 2000-01 season before it was decided to loan him to a Major League Soccer team, the San Jose Earthquakes.
Donovan enjoyed immediate success in the United States as he netted 12 goals in 30 appearances to help his side win the MLS Cup in 2001. Donovan spent a total of four years with the Earthquakes before returning in Germany in 2005. However, after a few games with the team, he asked to leave the club to return to the United States where he joined his hometown team, the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Landon Donovan, who had been named United States Football Athlete of the Year three times in a row during his loan deal with the Earthquakes, wrote of a contract that made him the American player highest paid in MLS. He didn’t fail to live up to the expectation as he became the Galaxy and MLS’s all-time leading scorer. During his time at Galaxy, Donovan had two loan spells in England with Everton and one in Germany with Bayern Munich.
In 2014, Donovan called time on his career, however, he returned two years later in 2016. He joined the Galaxy for that season before retiring at the end. In January 2018, Donovan again reversed his decision to retire and signed a contract with Club Leon, but in June of the same year the club decided to terminate his contract, dismissing him. retired.
Landon Donovan family – wife
Landon Donovan is currently in his second marriage. His first marriage was to actress Bianca Kajlich, known for playing the role of Jennifer Morgan on the CBS comedy series. Rules of Engagement (2007 – 2013). The couple were talking in Los Angeles when they tied the knot on Dec. 31, 2006. All seemed rosy until the couple announced their split just two and a half years later, in July 2009. These are talks Donovan and Kajlich could to fix. but in December 2010, the LA Galaxy star man filed for divorce from his wife.
It took a few years, but Donovan eventually found happiness again by marrying his girlfriend, Hannah Bartell. Bartell is a graduate of Boston University’s School of Hospitality. After graduating, she worked at the Renaissance Hotel in Los Angeles before enrolling at the University of Southern California, where she earned her MBA. She has since found work at JW Marriott Los Angeles where she holds the position of Sales Manager.
Donovan and Bartell reportedly started dating in 2013, but it was until 2014 that they were spotted together. Donovan took to Facebook to announce his engagement to the public before exchanging vows in May 2015. Together, the couple have two children. a son named Talon Bartell Donovan and a daughter named Slate Bartell Donovan.
Height, weight and other facts
Landon Donovan is 1.73m tall and weighs 70kg.
The 1999 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner has a twin sister called Tristan Donovan.
Donovan has won a record six MLS Cups as part of the San Jose Earthquakes and the LA Galaxy. He is also the league’s all-time leading scorer and has the most assists with 145 goals and 136 assists. For his accomplishments, the Major League Soccer MVP award was renamed the Landon Donovan MVP Award.
