England captain and Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane has outlined a surprising career trajectory, revealing plans to potentially transition into the NFL as a placekicker after eventually concluding his soccer career in Major League Soccer.
Speaking to reporters at St George’s Park during media availability ahead of international fixtures, the 33-year-old striker discussed his long-term post-soccer ambitions. Kane, who is currently in discussions regarding a new contract extension with Bayern Munich following a 73-goal campaign, noted that a future move to North America could pave the way for a dual-sport career depending on seasonal alignment.
“Perhaps if I’m in MLS in the future, or somewhere like that, it could be something where you maybe combine the two with the seasons,” Kane told reporters. “It’s something I’ll try to look at a bit more seriously. Everything depends on what happens in my career over the next five or six years, the motivation, and what I want to do. The NFL is a lot more realistic than golf, let’s put it that way.”
Drawing Parallels From the Penalty Spot
Kane bases his ambitions on the technical similarities between striking a soccer ball from the penalty spot and kicking field goals under intense pressure in American football. Pointing to past cross-code precedents, the English captain highlighted Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey—who was originally selected in the MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC before transitioning to the NFL—as evidence that elite soccer skills can translate to gridiron success. Former Tottenham striker Clive Allen, who famously played for the London Monarchs in NFL Europe, also established an early British precedent for switching between the codes.
“I take penalties, and it’s a very similar pressure and technique,” Kane explained. “If I were to do that, in terms of training, I would be closer to that than any other sport. If I were to do it, it would be something I’d take seriously. I’d probably take six months to a year to try and train beforehand.”
Focus Remains Firm on European Success
Despite mapping out his eventual exit strategy from elite European soccer, Kane emphasized that his immediate focus remains entirely locked on his current playing peak. Having celebrated his 33rd birthday in July, the striker stated that any conversation regarding alternative sports is purely hypothetical while he continues to perform at the highest echelon of European club competition.
“If people know that I’m still at the top of my game here in football, that’s not a conversation that would be happening,” Kane said, adding that he intends to extract every remaining ounce of performance from his peak years. Previous remarks made to ESPN in 2019 indicate that the forward has harbored an interest in an NFL kicking career for roughly a decade, though concrete thoughts of combining MLS play with gridiron training mark a distinct evolution in his long-term planning.
Next Checkpoint
Kane and the England national team return to competitive action in the UEFA Nations League, where preparations continue ahead of upcoming international fixtures.
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