Harry Kane has an eye-catching plan for the final phase of his sporting career. The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker dreams of becoming active in the NFL as a kicker after his football career and already has an idea of how he can get there.
Kane had also previously toyed with the idea of taking golf seriously, but has now dropped that ambition. "I play off a handicap of two, but at Wentworth I shoot ten over par," the England star striker tells The Sun. "Then I see the pros playing there and someone wins on twenty under par, so I think I'll stick to football."
American football does appeal to Kane. "That is something I want to look at more seriously. It all depends on what happens in my career over the next five or six years, but the NFL is far more realistic than golf."
The England captain believes his experience as a penalty taker could come in handy as a kicker. "It is something I'm used to, because you are mainly working with your feet. Taking penalties brings a similar pressure and technique with it, but if I were to do it, I would train seriously for six months to a year."
In American football, a kicker is a specialist used in specific moments of play. His main task is to kick the ball between the posts and over the crossbar from field goals and extra points, while he also often takes the kick-offs. A successful field goal is worth three points, while an extra point after a touchdown is worth one point.
Kane has not ruled out continuing his football career in the United States one day and building that link with the NFL there. "Maybe, if I play in MLS in the future or something along those lines, you could combine the two. But for now I want to keep playing football for as long as possible and get everything out of the final two, five or ten years."
Meanwhile, Kane is also close to extending his stay at Bayern Munich, where his current contract expires at the end of the season. "We are still in talks and those talks are going well. We are fairly close, although there are still a few things that need to be resolved. I don't think it will be long before something is announced."
Individually, Kane also enjoyed an excellent year and sees himself among the contenders for the Ballon d'Or, which will be presented in London on 26 October. "It would be incredible to win it and I would be enormously proud of that. I think I am absolutely in the running to win it, there is no doubt about that for me."