PHILADELPHIA – Landon Donovan walked onto the stage, hugged MLS commissioner Don Garber and wiped away some tears.
By now, he should be getting used to the honors and tributes that have been everywhere he’s turned since the 32-year-old decided to retire from MLS and the US national team last year.
But this one, he said, felt different.
Hearing Thursday’s official announcement that MLS – the league that helped him grow from a bleached-blonde-haired teenager into arguably the greatest American soccer player of all time – had renamed its MVP trophy after him caused a tempest of emotions that he tried to contain throughout his retirement tour last year.
“Seeing all the people that have been there since day one, it makes you appreciate what you’re put into it,” Donovan told reporters inside a downtown Philadelphia hotel prior to Thursday’s MLS SuperDraft. “When you’re in this day to day, you sort of lose sight of that. But when you realize what you put in from day one and you get to this place, it’s really cool. I’m just very grateful.”
Donovan, the league’s all-time leader in goals and assists, got particularly emotional as he watched a video tribute that included messages from family members, former teammates and coaches.
Following the tribute, Garber showed a video of what the new Landon Donovan MVP Award will look like in front of a packed ballroom of coaches, executives and many other members of the American soccer community.
And throughout the presentation, the MLS commissioner focused on how Donovan’s decision to join the league in 2001 changed the course of the then-fledging league and was “one of the most important milestones in our history.”
“That’s why we named the MVP trophy for him,” Garber said afterward. “Without Landon, there’s no MLS the way it is today.”
According to Garber, one of the most important parts of Donovan’s legendary 14-year professional career, which included a record six MLS Cups, is that the league has now reached the point where it no longer has to have a “face of MLS,” as Donovan was for so long.
“Now we don’t need any individual player,” Garber said. “We will have players coming in and out of the league for generations to come. But we are where we are because Landon made a decision to come here.”
While MLS is now in a new phase as it enters its 20th year of existence, Donovan will enter a new chapter, too. Garber said he hopes the 14-time All-Star and 2009 MVP will “take a deep breath” before figuring out what he wants to do next.
Donovan looked relaxed as he spoke to reporters Thursday, saying that he’s been playing golf, tennis and “waking up when I want to” over the last month since winning the MLS Cup in December.
But despite enjoying his new lifestyle, he isn’t ready to leave MLS completely behind.
“I’m always going to be an ambassador for the league, whether it’s formal or informal,” Donovan said. “I grew up with this league and I love this league and I want to continue to be a part of it.”
For now, though, the most important thing was embracing the fact that the next generation of soccer players will forever have the opportunity to win the Landon Donovan MVP Award.
“Watching this was fun for me,” he said. “All the pressure is off. I’m not going to preseason next week. I can soak it in and enjoy it. That’s why I was able to let go.”
