Landon Donovan has zero issues with MLS stars choosing not to go on loan to European clubs this winter.
Donovan, who went on two offseason loans to English Premier League club Everton and one to German giants Bayern Munich during his time with the LA Galaxy, told FourFourTwo that he thinks some of the league’s biggest names are making the right move by choosing to stay at home this winter.
The Galaxy's Steven Gerrard and New York City FC’s Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo have all ruled out loan moves this offseason, as have a number of other notable international players.
"You have to take it more seriously now," Donovan said after playing in David Beckham's UNICEF charity match at Old Trafford. "There is more money involved, more attention paid to it and the fans actually genuinely care more now."
The decisions by Gerrard, Lampard, Pirlo and others to not go on loan this winter marks a bit of a departure from past years, which saw players like Donovan, Beckham and former New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry go on short-term loans to high-profile European clubs.
The moves often resulted in a solid bit of publicity for the league and allowed the players to maintain a level of sharpness during the offseason, but didn’t always work out. Beckham’s loan to AC Milan ahead of the 2010 season, for instance, ended in disaster when the English midfielder tore his Achilles, forcing him to miss the 2010 World Cup and most of the MLS season.
The decision to not play in Europe will also allow the players to spend a full preseason with their MLS clubs, something Donovan sees as a positive for the league.
"That is a good sign [that players are ruling out moves],” he said. We are not naive and we know we have a long way to go but we are trying to get there.
"We have foreign players who care and want to come and make a difference, which is great. But we are also trying to develop our own players and produce players who can play on the world level."
