Created on 13-11-2008 at 00:00 AM
By any standards, Landon Donovan boasts an impressive career record. The only pro in the world game to have won his home country’s Player of the Year award five times, the 26-year-old has amassed 105 international caps, rates as the all-time leading scorer and provider for the US national team, and was Major League Soccer’s top marksman last term.
Despite all that, the seasoned Donovan had been “a little bit nervous” before his first workout with the Bayern squad, he confessed on Thursday after training at the Säbener Strasse for the third time. Even for the man described by Jürgen Klinsmann as “THE really exceptional player in North America, Mexico included,” training with Germany’s biggest club is a little bit out of the ordinary.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to see how the game’s played here,” said Donovan, who has noted a slew of differences compared to US soccer even after just a few days in Germany, in terms of history, professionalism, and especially in the depth of talent. “Every player here, from number 1 to number 22, is a better player. American teams only have one or two really good players.”