The former US national team forward and Everton loanee originally hung up his boots back in December 2014 after helping the Galaxy secure their fifth MLS Cup title.
Former LA Galaxy forward and US national team legend Landon Donovan is ready to make a shock return to professional football, according to the likes of ESPN FC and the LA Times.
The 34-year-old originally retired back in December 2014 after helping guide the Galaxy to their fifth MLS Cup title with a 2-1 extra-time win over the New England Revolution, but he is now believed to be in talks to re-join his old club on a contract for the remainder of the 2016 season.
A deal would have to be agreed before the MLS roster freeze deadline on 15 September ahead of the playoffs, but the 14-time All-Star and 2009 league MVP would be immediately eligible to play for Bruce Arena’s side once the move is made official.
News of Donovan’s potential return comes just a week after Dutch midfielder Nigel de Jong left the Galaxy by mutual consent to join Turkish giants Galatasaray, while striker Gyasi Zardes was also recently ruled out for the rest of the campaign with a broken foot.
The club are still tied for second in the Western Conference on 44 points with six regular season matches left, but they could certainly do with some attacking help for the playoff run-in after also seeing their top assist maker Steven Gerrard struggle with hamstring problems at times this term.
Donovan, who initially began his MLS career with the San Jose Earthquakes in 2001, is the only player to win six MLS Cups and remains the league’s all-time leading scorer with 144 goals, as well as the all-time leader in assists with 136 in 344 appearances.
The former Bayern Leverkusen youngster, whose time with the Galaxy included offseason loan spells at Bayern Munich and Everton, also scored a record 57 goals in 157 games for the US national team and appeared at three World Cups between 2002 and 2010, netting five times across the three tournaments.
He was controversially left out of the 2014 squad by head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, however, before later announcing his intentions to hang up his boots a few months later.
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