Less than 100 days before he is to lead the U.S. men’s national team into its World Cup opener against England, Landon Donovan managed to get a stadium full of Englishmen to chant ‘USA’ at the top of their lungs for the American they fell in love with over the course of a memorable ten weeks.
Donovan’s farewell lap around Goodison Park on Sunday served as the unofficial end to the American star’s loan deal with Everton. While he still has one more week to go in the English Premier League with a road game against Birmingham - and there is still an outside chance his loan could be extended - Sunday’s match against Hull City and the scenes after it provided the perfect finish for a loan spell that exceeded all reasonable expectations.
Donovan came on as a substitute and delivered a goal and assist in Everton’s 5-1 thrashing of Hull City, drawing roaring cheers and chants of “Sign-Him-Up” from Everton fans hoping their club to find a way to keep him.
After the match, Donovan took a lap around the stadium to thank the fans who helped make his stay at Everton an unforgettable one.
“As a person, it feels good to feel wanted, and as a player obviously it is, but I’m just appreciative of the opportunity I’ve had here,” Donovan said. “And I think they appreciate what I’ve given to them and that’s a good feeling.
“Assuming today is the last home game, then you want it to end that way,” Donovan said. “I was just happy to get a chance to get on the field because you never know how the game goes or what it’s going to look like, so it was nice to get in and it was nice to contribute.”
“You’ve seen what the supporter’s thought of him,” said Everton manager David Moyes. “I think it was a fitting moment that he scored a really good goal and made one as well, so I’m really pleased with him.”
Evertonians developed an affection for Donovan because he jumped right in and helped the Toffees turn around a season that had been a disappointment early on. Since Donovan’s arrival, Everton has posted a 6-2-1 record in league play, with victories against Chelsea and Manchester United, as well as a perfect 5-0 mark at Goodison Park.
Donovan’s form during that successful stretch was thoroughly impressive as he faced off against the world’s best teams and excelled, helping to erase the lingering memories of three disappointing stints in Germany. From his first match in January against Arsenal, through to his home finale against Hull, Donovan has flourished and put to bed the notion that he could not cut it in a top-flight league.
“The bit that we would be surprised with was how he hit the ground running in the Premier League,” Moyes said. “I wouldn’t call him a foreign player, but it’s not easy for a lot of foreign players who come in to do well.
“I think what happened was he got in against Arsenal and played well, and the team played well, and he suddenly realized, “Hey, I’m not out of my depth here,” because he’d been to Germany a couple of times and it maybe hadn’t worked for him,” Moyes said.
“I think the players here made it very easy for him. Tim Howard and Phil Neville certainly helped him settle in.”
Donovan fit in perfectly at Everton, not just because of his ability to fill the team’s need for speed and skill on the wings, but because of the family-type atmosphere created by teammates and fans alike.
In Germany, Donovan was basically treated as an outsider who had to sink or swim on his own, an environment that never quite suited Donovan’s personality and temperament. The result was three unsuccessful stints in Germany that left questions about Donovan’s ability to handle the rigors of Europe’s top flight.
With Everton, Donovan was embraced almost immediately upon arrival and given a big role from the start. Moyes described Donovan as a player who needs to feel comfortable where he is and needs to know his situation. Moyes and Everton helped that happen and were rewarded with Donovan’s best form.
Whether Donovan’s loan deal ends next week or not, it has already been a rousing success. Not just for what it has done for Donovan’s reputation, and transfer value (with rumors circulating that big-spending Chelsea is now interested in him), but also for his confidence as he moves closer to his third World Cup come June.
“I think the biggest thing is that you know that you can compete and play against any player in the world, no matter who they are,” Donovan said of the benefits of his Everton experience.
“You have that sense, but until you do it week in, week out, against the best teams, game after game, then you really get that feeling like not only am I capable of that, but we, as a team, are capable.”
Donovan’s loan did more than just show that he can play in the world’s best league. It showed that this is where he belongs.
He will eventually return to MLS and the Los Angeles Galaxy, and his return will ultimately provide a boost for MLS, but with each good performance for Everton, Donovan made it even more clear that American soccer’s best field player belongs in Europe, playing against the world’s best players.
Ives Galarcep is FoxSoccer.com's newest senior writer who will be covering U.S. Soccer and MLS.
