Harry Kane has given a glimpse into life after football, suggesting he could wind down his playing career in Major League Soccer before attempting to fulfil an ambition of becoming an NFL placekicker.
The England captain, who is likely to extend his contract with Bayern Munich, admitted he had also toyed with the idea of turning professional in golf — before quickly talking himself out of it.
"I toy with that in my head. I watch golf and think, 'I could be there'. Then I go out and play and I am like, 'no, there's no way'. I play off two. But I am a member at Wentworth and I shoot 10 over. Then I watch the pros, who played there last week, and 20 under wins it. I think I'll stick to football," Kane said.
An NFL Path Through MLS
Kane, who counts former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as a friend and someone he admires, believes a future move to the United States could open the door to combining both sports.
"It all 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 the golf one, let's put it that way," he added. "I think it is something I am used to kicking more than using my hands. I see that one. I take penalties and it is a very similar pressure, technique. If I did that, in terms of training, I would be closer to that more than any other sport."
He was quick to stress he wouldn't treat it as a hobby if he pursued it seriously. "As I know, with all elite sports, when you watch it on TV, people make it look easy and you think it is possible but that is not always the case. If I was to do it, it is something I would take seriously. I would take six months to a year to try and practice before."
No NFL Approach Yet
Kane confirmed he hasn't been approached by any NFL franchise, but suspects that stepping away from the top level of European football — and potentially into MLS — could change that.
"That might come later on," he said. "If people know I am still on the top of my game here with football it is not a conversation that would be had. 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 but again, it is in the back of my mind because right now, I am feeling that I want to play as long as I can here."
For now, though, the 33-year-old insists retirement talk is premature. "I think sometimes it is easy to get to my age, 33, you start thinking about retirement or the future but I am trying to extract everything I can from the last two, five or 10 years, I will keep going."
