'I hope to not see him!' - NFL legend JJ Watt keen to avoid Tom Brady reunion in EFL Championship as both Burnley & Birmingham City eye promotions this season

Two icons from the world of American football are now involved with soccer clubs turning out in the EFL. Watt was the first to take on a surprising sporting venture a long way from home, as he invested in Burnley alongside former USWNT star wife Kealia.

Seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady is now involved with Birmingham, which has allowed him to lock horns with Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in 2024-25 – with the Blues competing alongside Wrexham in League One.

Birmingham have spent big in a bid to bounce back into the second tier of English football, while Burnley are looking to book an immediate return to the Premier League. With both teams aiming high, Watt has told BBC Sport of wanting to avoid another meeting with former gridiron rival Brady: "He’s got Birmingham, he’s got the [Las Vegas] Raiders, he’s got a lot going on. Looks like he’s on his way up to the Championship. I hope to not see him next year!"

Watt has already experienced the highs and lows of promotion and relegation with Burnley and has explained how it is that rollercoaster of emotions that first drew him to English football. He added: "I love the people. I love the passion. I love what it means. I think that’s the whole reason I got into it in the first place. That’s what makes me so drawn to it."

Burnley are currently sat third in the Championship table, two points adrift of the automatic promotion spots with eight games left to take in. Birmingham, meanwhile, have pulled 12 points clear at the top of League One and will be looking to confirm their ascent up the EFL ladder as quickly as possible.