Donovan: We are very excited

Landon Donovan has been the USA’s talisman for near a full decade now. With excellent pace and vision, a keen eye for goal and that little touch of class that all teams need to succeed, the Southern California native has become the United States’ all-time top scorer with over 40 goals in 121 caps. The playmaker, most at home in the hole behind the centre-forward, has on six occasions been named the North American nation’s Player of the Year.

With a handful of games gone in the current Major League Soccer campaign, Donovan is leading the league in assists and has his LA Galaxy leading the table. With a busy schedule at the moment – the FIFA World Cup™ is right around the corner and MLS is in full swing – the 28-year-old schemer found time for an exclusive chat with FIFA.com. The topics up for discussion: Donovan’s recent successful loan sting with Everton in the English Premier League, his firm belief that, on their day, the USA can beat anyone, last year’s FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa and the state of Bob Bradley’s USA squad on the eve of a return to that beautiful country for what will be Donovan’s third FIFA World Cup.

FIFA.com: You recently had a successful loan spell with Everton. Can you talk a little about what the experience was like for you personally?
Landon Donovan: The experience was a priceless one for me. The games were always fast and ultra-competitive and my time there certainly made me a better player. I loved playing at Goodison Park [Everton’s home ground]. I feel like I had to earn the respect of the fans, and once I did, they were always going to support me. I would absolutely consider going back to England if the opportunity ever presented itself again.

How has the transition been for you going back to LA Galaxy and MLS? Even with an injury to David Beckham, the team has started well and sit first place in the league’s Western Conference and on overall points.
The transition has been really easy because we have almost our entire team coming back from last year [when the side went to the final of MLS Cup] and playing again for the Galaxy. I think our team is not only good, but also very deep. We have a lot of games to play this year because of our qualification for the CONCACAF Champions League and the depth in our roster will be crucial to our success. We feel very good about our chances of getting back to MLS Cup again.
source:Fifa.com