CARSON, Calif. –Landon Donovan will take the field for a final time for the U.S. National Team this Friday against Ecuador and according to the Galaxy great, it couldn’t have happened without the influence of U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati.

Donovan was named captain for the match on Tuesday by U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann, but the 32-year-old forward told reporters that he has yet to speak to the national team boss ahead of the game. While Donovan’s relationship with Klinsmann has been noticeably frosty since he was excluded from the U.S. squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup,

“I give Sunil a lot of credit for making the effort to make this happen. He made sure that this was going to happen and I’m glad that he did. I wasn’t sure at first, but he did a good job of making sure that it all came together. I’m sure that it’s going to be a terrific event and I’m very excited.”

And when asked if his USMNT swansong would not have happened without Gulati’s sway, Donovan's answer was revealing.

“I don’t know for sure,” admitted Donovan. “But I’d say that’s a safe assumption.”