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Landon Donovan is perhaps one of the most recognizable American men’s soccer players of all time.
Donovan was a part of the 2002 World Cup that reached the quarterfinals and helped them advance out of the group stage in 2010 after a disappointing exit in 2006. He scored one of the most memorable goals of 2010 when he scored in overtime to put the United States past Algeria and advance to the knockout stage.
Along with the highs that propelled Donovan to new fame, there were also huge lows.
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Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan (26) in action against Orlando City FC during the second half at StubHub Center on September 11, 2016. (Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports)
Donovan details his battle with depression, reconfiguring what success meant to him and his incredible football career in his new book, “Landon: A Memoir,” due out Tuesday.
He spoke to PK Press Club Digital about his mental health struggles and what depression was like for him.
“I’ve had two different types of experiences when it comes to depression,” he said. “I realized through therapy and in retrospect that I had suffered my whole life from underlying depression, mild depression that I’m dealing with today. So there are days where I wake up and I just feel depressed and sad and it’s very manageable for me now. I’ve learned to deal with it.
“But then I’ve also had three episodes in my life of really severe depressive episodes that lasted weeks and were really, really hard to come out of. So what a hat feels like to me: not being able to get off the couch, not wanting to eat and just feeling like you have a huge blanket over you that you can’t get rid of and it’s a horrible feeling.”
The former American football star said he found ways to get out of these moods, through therapy.
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U.S. forward Landon Donovan (10) reacts after nearly scoring a goal against Antigua and Barbuda during the second half at Raymond James Stadium on June 8, 2012. (Matt Stamey/USA TODAY Sports)
“I say the three M’s for me,” he explained. “Medication has helped me a lot in my life. Meditation helps me a lot. And then, in some cases, my mother. Just having my mother there next to me has helped me. And so, I’m at a point now where, knock on wood, it’s been a long, long time since I had a major depressive episode. But the medication and meditation keeps me calm and my exercise – those are the three things now that really keep me sane.”
Donovan mentioned that he really started to struggle after the 2006 World Cup and failed to score or provide assists for the team. He then suffered the full brunt of media criticism. He was also left off the 2008 Olympics roster, although the team fielded an U23 roster.
The good thing about this is that no one was going to Donovan’s MySpace page to post angry comments or even death threats similar to what professional athletes are hearing now.
In this way, Donovan told PK Press Club Digital that he feels “very lucky.”
“We see so many people who are in the public eye and have to deal with hate and criticism and criticism on social media all the time. And all of that would have been exacerbated for me if any of that had existed,” he said. “I feel very, very fortunate, for a number of reasons, that social media didn’t exist at that time, but it’s a very real thing.
“People assume that because we’re in the public eye and we make money and we’re famous that our life should be easy. And besides, compared to the person who struggles to put food on the table, it’s easy, so I’m not minimizing that. But it’s hard to deal with that sometimes. We are, as humans, social creatures. And we want to be loved, we all want to be loved, that’s normal. And open your screen all days, your phone or your computer, and reading people badmouthing you, is really hard on humans and unfortunately, we’ve seen it take many, many lives.”
Donovan retired from professional soccer as one of the greatest Major League Soccer players the league has ever seen. He helped the United States to four Gold Cup titles and the LA Galaxy to four MLS Cups.
Success in 2026 versus 2006 looks a little different for Donovan right now.
LA Galaxy defender Maya Yoshida (4) and former player Landon Donovan hug after defeating the New York Red Bulls in the 2024 MLS Cup at Dignity Health Sports Park on December 7, 2024. (Gary A. Vasquez/Imagn Images)
“Success for me now is peace,” he told PK Press Club Digital. “I’m at peace when I’m with my kids. I’m at peace with my wife, when we travel, when I play golf. It’s crazy for me sometimes to think about a kid who grew up in a 900 square foot house flying to New York, staying in a Ritz Carlton overlooking Central Park and thinking back to how did it all happen? But it hasn’t always been easy along the way. And so, for me today, peace is to do the things that I love.
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“Unfortunately, my father plays a big role in the book. He’s an important character throughout the book and he didn’t grow up. I was able to reconcile with him at 25, so almost 20 years ago. He passed away in December and it was very eye-opening for me to be next to someone as he was dying. You start to realize that when I’m here one day, what is going to really, truly matter to me? So when I think about it, that “Anyway, and I try to think about it every day, what really matters today. Most things won’t matter. And so, the things that bring me peace are the ones that I will put my energy and effort into. “
