The NFL's growing international appeal has inspired athletes from across the world to pursue dreams of playing professional football, from Nigeria and Australia to even the Premier League.
Count soccer icon Harry Kane, England's captain and all-time leading goalscorer, among those with NFL aspirations.
Kane, 29, reiterated Wednesday in an interview with Good Morning America that he wants to be a kicker in the league once his footy career is through.
"It's something I want to definitely explore," Kane said. "I know it will be a lot of hard work. I'm not expecting to just walk up and start kicking field goals. It would be a lot of practice, a lot of hard work. But yeah, it's something I'd love to do. The NFL is something I have been following for about 10 years now, and I love it, so I would love to give it a go."
This isn't the first time the longtime Tottenham Hotspur striker has publicly expressed interest in a gridiron future. Kane said four years ago that he would "definitely want to try" placekicking in the NFL in "10 or 12 years." (Do the math: We may see Kane wearing shoulder pads by the end of the decade.)
He has also been present at a number of NFL games in London (played at his house, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) and recently played a role in introducing the league's latest UK slate.
Kane is coming off another prolific season with Spurs, scoring 32 goals in 49 appearances for the club, but his future with the organization is unclear. His contract with Tottenham is up in 2024, and Kane is rumored to be a transfer target of Manchester United this summer.
Could Kane's future, immediate or distant, feature a stint in the NFL? He's got time. After all, kickers have long shelf-lives; just this past year, Robbie Gould (40 years old), Nick Folk (38), Mason Crosby (38) and Matt Prater (38) each started the bulk of their team's games.
NFL fans, at home and abroad, may have to wait for Kane to make the trip across the Atlantic and the transition to oblong booting, but the league, if not defenders, would surely welcome the soccer star with open arms.
