Wealth of experience: Landon Donovan's goalscoring record is almost unheard for for a midfielder having scored 42 in 120 appearances

Caps: 120
Goals: 42
World Cup appearances: 8 (2002, 2006)
World Cup 2010 qualification: 15 appearances/5 goals

Club: LA Galaxy, USA
Age: 27
Position: Midfielder

Donovan is one of the stars of the USA team, as well as one of their most capped players. His scoring record of 42 goals from 120 games is exceptional for an attacking midfielder, and at the age of just 27 he is the most experienced player in a young American side.

Composed and skilful, Donovan is not afraid to run with the ball and use his agility – a legacy of his exploits as a teenage gymnastics champion – to squirm clear of defenders, as he showed in giving the USA a shock 2-0 lead against Brazil in the Confederations Cup.

Donovan was earmarked for greatness from an early age. At the age of just 17 he was snapped up by Bayer Leverkusen, but the experience came several years too soon for the still-growing teenager, and he struggled.

He returned to the States in 2001, playing first for San Jose Earthquakes and later for Los Angeles Galaxy, where he formed a productive midfield partnership with David Beckham.

He enjoyed a second spell in the Bundesliga, signing on loan for Bayern Munich earlier this year, and a successful World Cup could put him on the radar of European scouts once more.