A Premier League cult hero has left fans stunned at his incredible transformation just two years on from an appearance that went viral for all the wrong reasons
Former Everton star Landon Donovan has stunned fans with his incredible hair transformation at the World Cup.
The USA legend, 44, is part of FOX Sport’s coverage at the tournament and was in good spirits as he watched Mauricio Pochettino’s side batter Paraguay 4-1 to kick their campaign off in style. However, it wasn’t just Poch’s magic that fans were fixated on.
Donovan has always been follicly challenged during his playing career and the forward underwent hair transplant surgery after hanging up his boots as he embarked on a career in front of the screens as a pundit.
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Seemingly in pursuit of confidence, Donovan would have been crushed when he went viral two years ago at Euro 2024 when his unsuccessful hair transplant was painfully clear.
Donovan had an incredibly patchy look, at best. In brutal reality, the lack of hair around the side and back of his head dropped off dramatically from the ear joining his beard and hairline, while his look on top resembled a lollipop dropped on a carpet.
But Donovan was back in front of the camera for USA’s win over Paraguay and the LA Galaxy icon now sports an incredibly tidy and stylish crop of hair.
Donovan beamed ear to ear on the broadcast and fans congratulated him on his transformation. One user said: Whoever did Landon Donovan’s hair transplant just needs to make him a marketing ambassador all over the world because whoa!”
A second said: “Landon Donovan’s hair transplant is crazy work.” While a third asked: “Can someone send me the contact info for the person who gave Landon Donovan hair?” A fourth added: “Landon Donovan has made the greatest comeback in history.”
Donovan previously admitted to The Athletic the difference he feels in himself since undergoing his successful turnaround.
He said: “I got to this point where – and I don’t know, maybe it’s mid-life crisis or whatever – where psychologically it was [important].
“I thought to myself it’s just annoying to have this. Every time I saw myself in a picture: ‘I’m bald here and bald up here’.
“My confidence when I’m just walking around is skyrocketing. I didn’t realise how much I was aware of my hair, or lack of it.
“Now I walk around and think: ‘I’m kind of handsome. I’m not this ugly balding guy’. I feel like I’m an all right-looking guy. So for other people I think it can do a lot too.”