LONDON: England captain Harry Kane says he is considering a future as an American football kicker later in his career, and the country's all-time leading scorer is also eyeing a late move to Major League Soccer.
Kane, 33, hinted at a career in the NFL on Wednesday while speaking at England's UEFA Nations League training camp. He has previously expressed interest in pursuing golf and American football, but said he is now giving the NFL idea more serious thought. He stressed that any move to the United States is still several years away.
"That is something I will try and look at a bit more seriously," Kane said. "It all depends on what happens in my career over the next five or six years. The NFL is a lot more realistic than the golf one, let's put it that way."
Kane has scored 85 goals in 121 appearances for England, 25 of them from penalties. The Bayern Munich striker said his experience taking penalties could give him a head start as a kicker, though he acknowledged that switching sports would require serious preparation.
"I take penalties and it is a very similar pressure and technique," Kane said. "In terms of training, I would be closer to that more than any other sport."
"But, with all elite sports, when you watch it on TV, people make it look easy; you think it is possible, but that is not always the case," he added. "If I was to do it, it is something I would take seriously. I would take maybe six months to a year of trying to practise beforehand."
Kane also suggested that a move to MLS could offer a way to combine the two sports.
"Maybe if I am in the MLS in the future or somewhere like that it might be a thing where you could connect the two maybe with the seasons," he said.
Other soccer players have made the switch. Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey was a first-round MLS draft pick by Toronto FC in 2017 but never made an official appearance for the first team. Jake Bates, a kicker for the Detroit Lions, also played college football.
For now, Kane's immediate future remains in soccer. Talks over a new contract with Bundesliga champion Bayern are progressing, and an announcement is expected soon.
"We're in good talks," Kane said. "There's still some things that we need to iron out. I'm happy there. I think it won't be too long before there's some sort of announcement."
