Harry Kane is serious about the NFL He dreams of a second career in American football after soccer
Harry Kane has said it once again: in the future, he would like to become an NFL kicker. The Bayern Munich striker and England captain has been talking about it for years, and during a recent media session at St George’s Park, he confirmed that he intends to seriously consider the possibility.
In any case, it is not an imminent scenario. Kane confirmed that he wants to continue playing football for as long as possible, that he is discussing a new contract with Bayern Munich and that he hopes to have several more seasons at the highest level ahead of him. And that, “for now, I’m only focused on making the most of the next two, five or ten years I have left in football.”
Will Harry Kane really become an NFL player?
An important starting point is that “The Hurricane”, at 33, is still very much in his prime, both in terms of performance and fitness. Last season, he scored more goals than anyone else in Europe (73 for club and country), led England to third place at the World Cup, won the Golden Boot and is now the favourite to claim the next Ballon d’Or. In short, his potential future in American football, naturally as a kicker—the specialist responsible for field goals and extra points—is a long-term project.
“It will depend on what happens in my career over the next five or six years, on my motivation and on what I want to do,” he explained. He has also considered golf as a possible second career, but sees the NFL as a more realistic goal, mainly thanks to his experience from the penalty spot. “I take penalties, and I think the pressure and the technique are very similar.” However, that does not mean that being able to kick a football is enough to become a kicker. “Watching it on television, it all looks easy and you might think it’s achievable, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it really is,” the striker acknowledged, adding that he would need a period of specific training—“maybe six or twelve months”—before attempting the switch.
Kane clarified that no NFL franchise has ever contacted him and that he is not considering a move in the immediate future. However, he suggested a possible intermediate step that could serve as a bridge towards his second career: “Maybe, if I played in MLS in the future, it would be a way to get closer,” also taking advantage of the different sporting calendars in the United States.
Historical precedents
As unlikely as the switch may seem, it would not be entirely unprecedented: other footballers have already followed the path into American football, and some have even made it all the way to the NFL.
The closest precedent is Clive Allen, another former Tottenham striker who, after ending his football career, played as a kicker for the London Monarchs in the European league of American football in 1997. Toni Fritsch, meanwhile, made it all the way to the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, playing 125 regular-season games in the league. Before joining the Texas franchise, he had been a striker for Rapid Vienna and the Austrian national team. He retired from football in 1970, switched to American football the following year and won the Super Bowl in 1972.
Tony Meola, the United States goalkeeper at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, also attempted to become a kicker after retiring from football. He signed a contract with the New York Jets but never appeared in an official game. A more recent and successful example is Brandon Aubrey, the current kicker for the Dallas Cowboys. As a footballer, he was a defender selected by Toronto FC in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, before retiring the following year. He later played in the USFL for the Birmingham Stallions and joined the Cowboys in 2023, signing a four-year, $28 million contract extension last April.
Looking at the bigger picture, the desire to start over in another sport extends beyond American football. At the height of his career, Michael Jordan temporarily left the NBA and played baseball for the Birmingham Barons in the Minor League in 1994, although he never made his MLB debut. After retiring from athletics, Usain Bolt attempted to begin a second career as a footballer, training with the Central Coast Mariners in Australia but never signing a professional contract. Finally, Petr Cech is perhaps the case in which the transfer of skills appears most natural: after playing in goal for Chelsea and Arsenal, he became an ice hockey goaltender, reaching the top tier of British ice hockey with the Belfast Giants in 2023.
