Washington, Nov 10 (IANS): Former American international Landon Donovan has decided not to run for US Soccer Federation president, local media reported.

Donovan, 35, was first said to be contemplating a run last month, reports Xinhua.

But now he wants to stay out of it and dedicate his time and energy to improving the game at all levels, according to ESPN.

So far, seven candidates have officially declared their intentions.

They comprise Boston-based attorney Steve Gans, Springfield, Mass.-based businessman Paul Lapointe, former US international Eric Wynalda, current USSF vice president Carlos Cordeiro, former US international Paul Caligiuri, New York-based attorney Mike Winograd, and former US international and sports broadcaster Kyle Martino.

Donovan has long been a respected figure in the game, but his lack of business experience created a gap in his credentials.

He is just a year removed from his playing days. He retired after the end of the 2015 MLS campaign, but came out of retirement midway through the 2016 season, playing the last three months for the LA Galaxy.

Donovan opted not to return to the field for the 2017 season. Since then he has been doing broadcasting work.