Los Angeles Galaxy star Landon Donovan, who until this year was a fixture on the U.S. men’s national team, announced Thursday that he will retire at the end of the Major League Soccer season.
Donovan, 32, appeared in his record 14th MLS all-star game last night in Portland, and scored the game-winning goal.
Although an afternoon news conference is scheduled in Carson, Donovan confirmed his retirement plans with messages on Twitter and Facebook.
“I am sad to leave a profession that has brought me so much joy,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “I will miss all of the teammates who helped me create so many wonderful experiences with off the field. I will miss my coaches, at both the club and national team levels, who have helped me develop throughout my career and helped make me the player I am today.
“However, after spending half my life as a professional soccer player, I also am excited to begin a new chapter and pursue other opportunities that will challenge me and allow me to grow as a person,” he wrote.
Donovan said that while he will no longer be playing, “rest assured I will stay connected on many levels to the beautiful game.”
— City News Service