Landon Donovan’s legend will live on in Major League Soccer, despite his recent retirement.
MLS honored Donovan on Thursday by naming its MVP award after him and commissioning a new trophy, which includes his likeness. The “Landon Donovan MVP Award” will recognize the outstanding player in each MLS season, starting in 2015.
Donovan, who retired from professional soccer last month, was taken aback by MLS’ move, according to MLSSoccer.com.
“As a child, soccer was merely an outlet for me — a way to express myself,” Donovan said in a league statement. “To have this prestigious award named after me is truly unimaginable. Thank you to Commissioner Garber, Major League Soccer and all of the people that have supported me along the way. I am extremely humbled by and proud of this honor.”
Donovan, 32, is MLS’ all-time leader with 144 goals and 136 assists over 14 seasons. He won six MLS Cups, one US Open Cup and two MLS Supporters’ Shields with the San Jose Earthquakes and L.A. Galaxy. He was named to MLS’ Best XI team seven times but only won the league’s MVP award once (in 2009).
Present and future American soccer stars will be hard-pressed to match the legacy Donovan left behind. They only need to look at the shiny, new Tiffany & Co.-made trophy as proof.
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