Landon Donovan officially retired from international football after Friday’s friendly with Ecuador in Hartford, Connecticut. It was Donovan’s last appearance in a United States men’s national team jersey and it gave fans the chance to salute their hero one last time before he retires from football altogether.
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Donovan was interviewed by SI.com’s Grant Wahl ahead of the match and he was asked which footballer he most admired during his career. With a surprise answer, Donovan singled out Frank Lampard as the player he admired most. He could have gone with one of his many club and international teammates, players like Brad Friedel or David Beckham, but instead he chose the Chelsea FC legend because of his attitude and professionalism.
Landon Donovan on his admiration of Frank Lampard:
"“This is going to sound weird, but probably Frank Lampard. And I say that because I like the way he went about his life. You never heard stories about him, he was never in the tabloids, his effort was always good, he was a winner. He did things right. He cared about the club he was at. I think he just did things the right way, and I always admired that.”Source: SI.com"
After a hiccup or two early on in his career, Frank Lampard has been a model citizen and a hallmark of professionalism in football. He stayed out of the tabloids unlike his teammates Ashley Cole and John Terry and steered clear of any controversy for much of his career. His current run at Manchester City is another example of his tremendous ability and professionalism as he has adapted so quickly to another club. Landon Donovan had a long list of choices but he could not have done much better than Frank Lampard as a role model and example.
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