02 May 2023 , 13:00
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NFL legend JJ Watt has taken a cheeky swipe at Ryan Reynolds following his latest venture.
The former Houston Texan star retired from the NFL several months ago and has announced he has invested in Burnley FC along with his wife and football star Kealia Watt.
The couple have been fans of football for some time, with the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year being a Chelsea supporter, while his wife follows Arsenal. The pair took to social media to make the announcement and will join the investment group run by American businessman Alan Pace. In the clip, Watt was asked if he intends to follow in the footsteps of Hollywood megastar Reynolds who co-owns Wrexham, and issued a frank response.
“Look, I've only been retired for about four months now, but I really need something to do," he said. "Anyways, I am officially retiring from retirement, we are going to invest in European football. We don't have ‘buy an entire European football club kind of money,’ we are more along the lines of minority investment but massive emotional investment.
"So America, allow us to introduce you to Burnley. Buckle-up kids because we are about to go on a little journey called the English football pyramid. Welcome to the Premier League." Watt is another star in the growing line of American celebrities wanting to invest in European football clubs.
Ryan Reynolds mispronounces name of new Wrexham signing in hilarious video
Last year Creed and Black Panther star Michael B Jordan began to invest in Bournemouth, NBA icon LeBron James has a stake in Liverpool, and as previously mentioned Reynolds took ownership of the newly-promoted Wrexham along with fellow actor Rob McElhenney. Watt has previously spoken about his love for the struggling Chelsea, who also have American owners, led by Todd Boehly.
"Once it started to get prominent on TV in America, I started to watch it," he said. "They would show it on Saturdays and it’s the first thing on in the morning. I didn't know anything about the teams, the traditions, the history, the rivalries. But I visited Stamford Bridge and got to see Chelsea play - I got to see [Didier] Drogba's last game as a Blue. I really started to get into it then, started researching, and I fell in love with it."
Watt was asked if he wanted to follow in the footsteps of Hollywood actor and Wrexham AFC co-owner Ryan Reynolds (Getty Images)Watt retired from the NFL as one of the greatest defensive linemen in its history and holds the Texans' franchise records for the number of sacks and forced fumbles. In late December, he explained his decision to hang up his cleats.
"I've known for a little while. It's the right time," Watt said. "It feels like the right time. I've put so much into the game and the wins and the losses, the mental stress and passion that comes with it, it just weighs on you. It's heavy, I mean it's really heavy.
"The losses are very tough to take. You live with the highs and the lows, and I've always said that I'd way rather live with the highs and the lows than never know in the middle. I've got a son now. Obviously, I had a heart scare in the middle of the year, so there's certainly some of that that played into it. But I'm very happy and am very at peace with it."