Burnley co-owner JJ Watt believes Harry Kane could become an NFL kicker with the right training.
England captain Kane has made no secret of his desire to one day get the ball back and join the NFL as a placekicker, responsible for all kicking duties, including field goals.
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And NFL legend Watt sees no reason why the 30-year-old Bayern Munich forward couldn’t find himself on an NFL roster in the near future.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Gary Neville asked Watt what it would take for Kane to change sports. “I think with real dedicated training, I think he could (play American football).
“I think his skills obviously have been kicking balls his whole life, so you put him with a proper kicking coach.
“I don’t want to diminish the job of a kicker, I think it’s an extremely difficult job, but someone who does it at the highest level like Harry Kane with proper training, I do (I think (he could join the NFL).”
No Premier League soccer player has successfully converted to the NFL in the United States, although another Tottenham legend, Clive Allen, played as a kicker for the London Monarchs in 1997.
In March, Kane reiterated his desire to one day cross the Atlantic and venture into the NFL and become a star in two sports and told Sports Illustrated: “It’s at least something I have on your mind.
“I feel like I still have many, many years ahead of me as a footballer – but so much can happen. Things change so quickly.
“As I approach the end of my football career, perhaps I could take a closer look and start training a little. Reaching the highest level in two different sports – football and soccer – would be a good idea, something very special.”
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Kane is so fascinated by the sport that he even named his dog after Tom Brady, but Watt suggested a different position might be better suited to the role of kicker in the NFL.
Alongside Neville, Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott and Ian Wright, Watt added: “Justin Tucker is the best kicker in NFL history.
“I’m not saying Harry can be that, I mean the guy is amazing.
“But do I think Harry could, with three to four years of intensive daily training, make a 32-man NFL team? I think it’s likely.
“Just because he’s been kicking balls all his life. Maybe a goalkeeper would be a better option because of the penalties and everything.”
While playing football his whole life may benefit him, Kane has also been warned that simply kicking footballs isn’t enough to become one of the best kickers in the NFL.
Watt went on to tell how Sergio Agüero impressed him during an on-field exercise during a pre-season tour, but one facet of his game let him down.
“I was in a placement competition with Sergio Aguero in America when Man City were there and he was phenomenal.
“He was kicking 65-yard field goals. The only difference he should have worked on was he took a long run.
“There is 1.2 seconds between when the ball is thrown and when you kick the ball, so you have to do a two-step swing and kick it.
“That was the only difference, but I mean he was hitting the ball through the upright.”
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