DONOVAN

By The Nark End
March 9 2010

IT LOOKS AS IF LANDON DONOVAN IS ALMOST CERTAINLY LEAVING NEXT WEEK,AS HE SAYS HOW RELIEVED HE WAS TO SCORE ON SUNDAY....

Landon Donovan was relieved to make up for his missed chance at Tottenham by signing off at Goodison with a goal.

The American scored in the 5-1 rout of Hull City on Sunday, just a week after missing a chance to draw the Blues level at White Hart Lane where the game ended with a 2-1 defeat.

"Last week was tough," Donovan said.  "As an athlete unfortunately you are judged on a few seconds at a time.

"When I think of everything at Everton I want to think of the trip as a whole and think that I have been successful but in those moments it is hard as an athlete.

"After the manager named the team and I knew I wasn't starting I made sure I was going to be ready because I felt pretty bad after last week so I wanted to make some sort of contribution.”

The LA Galaxy striker is set to return to the States for the start of the MLS season after Saturday's trip to Birmingham.

Donovan says it was especially poignant for him to score in his final outing in front of the Goodison crowd.

"It has been fantastic and I could never have expected when I got here that it would turn out like this. 

"The fans want you to play as hard as you can when you are out there," explained Donovan.  "That is what I like to give when I am out there and they want to see the team win. 

"As nice as it was to score against Hull it is much nicer to win and when you have that in common with the fans I think there is a connection there."

Galaxy's opening game of the MLS season is on 27 March against New England.

LA Galaxy's head coach Bruce Arena confirmed: "Landon will be back here March 15. We're being consistent with everything we've said all along."