Can Harry Kane make it in the NFL as a kicker after his football career?
Who has also made the switch? And how much would Kane earn?
Friday 29 March 2019 16:38, UK
Could Harry Kane make it as a kicker in the NFL?
Following the Tottenham Hostpur and England striker's comments this week he was seriously planning a move to America at the end of his football playing career, we've looked to see if there are any others who have successfully made the switch.
Who has set the example for Kane to follow? Can he be a success? And how much would he earn?
Is Kane the first footballer to make the switch?
He's not even the first Tottenham striker.
Famously, in 1997, Clive Allen was a kicker for the London Monarchs in the now defunct NFL Europe league. But he never made the NFL grade.
In that sense, Kane would certainly be the first footballer - or, at least the highest profile name - to switch sports and actually play in the NFL.
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In 2013 there was talk of a certain David Beckham being offered an NFL deal after having reportedly impressed as a football player during a 2007 Adidas commercial with star running back Reggie Bush.
But any possible move was largely dismissed as nothing more than a publicity stunt and, as a result, never happened.
Around the NFL's Chris Wesseling best summed up the scepticism at the time, and the problems Kane would likely too have to overcome.
"Given less than two seconds against the oncoming rush in high-pressure situations, NFL kickers must convert 85 percent of their field-goal attempts. Even if Beckham is a rare athlete, it's laughable to believe he can step right in as one of the 40 to 50 best football kickers in the world."
What about players from other sports?
Rugby has also had players flirt with American football. A similar story to Allen's, former Scotland international full-back Gavin Hastings was a kicker for the Scottish Claymores in NFL Europe, in 1996.
Hastings played a single season as a placekicker, scoring 24 of 27 conversions but missed his only attempt at a field goal.
Much like Beckham, England World Cup winner Johnny Wilkinson was a high-profile recruit to give kicking a try in the NFL, reportedly to the tune of $8m a year.
As recently as 2013, Wilkinson said: "I have thought about the NFL a little bit. I would love to go over to America. I need to see the transition as one door closing and a very attractive one opening." But a move never materialised.
Other rugby stars though have made the switch, or are in the process - and not as a kicker.
Australian rugby league player Jarryd Hayne appeared in eight games as a running back for the San Francisco 49ers in 2015 before switching back.
Meanwhile, back to rugby union, and former England international winger Christian Wade announced his intention to pursue a career in the NFL in October last year.
But there is a former footballer making a success of things in the NFL?
Josh Lambo, of the Jacksonville Jaguars, never played for club or country at senior level, but he did represent the USA at the 2009 U17 World Cup.
There, Lambo played in the USA's final group against a Belgium side that included Eden Hazard and Christian Benteke. And he kept a clean sheet!
Speaking to Sky Sports last year, Lambo reminisced: "Before I went out onto the pitch for warm-ups, my goalkeeping coach said: 'Hey, no pressure kid, but you need to have a shut-out'.
"I played against Hazard and Benteke, kept a clean sheet, we won 2-0 and I actually almost scored!
"I launched the ball up to our forward, it went over his head and the defenders', but this 17-year-old goalkeeper they had was about 6ft 5in! So, he managed to jump back and just about tip it over the bar as it was heading for the back of the net."
Lambo's long-range kicking skills obviously gave hint to his future career as, since making his NFL debut in 2015, Lambo has become one of the more consistent kickers in the league - in February he was paid like one too, signing a four-year, $15.5m contract extension with the Jaguars.
What would Kane likely earn in the NFL?
Kicker is the lowest-paid position in the NFL, with Lambo's deal detailed above one of the richest.
Even if Kane was to be similarly compensated as one of the premier kickers in the league, it would fall someway short of his current salary at Spurs.
Kane signed a new deal with Spurs last summer that sees him earn around $265,000 per week and approximately $17.6m per year with bonuses.
Compare that to Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens, the NFL's biggest earner at the position, who pulls in $4.6m a year.
Is it worth the trouble for Kane? Apparently so.
"It's something that in 10 or 12 years, I definitely want to try," he said. "If you play in the Premier League and the World Cup, and you then play in the NFL, would you then be considered one of the greatest sportsmen ever?"
