Harry Kane is once again floating the idea of becoming an NFL kicker, but the England superstar has added a new wrinkle to his plan.
Speaking to reporters at England training camp on Wednesday, Sept. 23, Kane reiterated his desire to play in the NFL. In the past, the 33-year-old has spoken about doing so after he retires from soccer. But England's all-time leading international scorer said he could consider playing in the NFL and MLS simultaneously.
“That is something I will try and look at a bit more seriously,” Kane said of kicking in the NFL. “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.”
Kane, who is
a leading contender for the Ballon d'Or and still starring for England and Bayern Munich, added that any potential switch to MLS and/or the NFL still likely would be years away.
“If people know I am still on the top of my game here with football (soccer), it is not a conversation that would be had,” Kane added.
“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, with the seasons. But 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.”
Starting in 2027, MLS will move to a fall-to-spring calendar that will align it with most of the world's top leagues. The regular season will start in mid-to-late July, and wrap up in April with playoffs in May. The league would also take a break in December and January.
That will see plenty of overlap with the NFL season, which starts with training camp in July and runs through the Super Bowl in February.
Kane has spoken several times about his desire to one day kick in the NFL, saying last year that it was "always something that's in the back of my mind."
In 2023, Kane told Good Morning America: "It's something I want to definitely explore. I know it will be a lot of hard work. I'm not expecting to just walk up and start kicking field goals. It would be a lot of practice, a lot of hard work. But yeah, it's something I'd love to do.
"The NFL is something I have been following for about 10 years now, and I love it, so I would love to give it a go."
Many NFL kickers have a background in soccer, including Dallas Cowboys All-Pro Brandon Aubrey. In 2017, Aubrey was selected in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC before eventually switching to football.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: England star Harry Kane floats playing in MLS and NFL at same time
