Ex-NFL star JJ Watt joins Burnley fans on pub crawl for ‘research’ after following Ryan Reynolds into English football
FORMER NFL star JJ Watt enjoyed a pub crawl before Burnley’s last game of the season for “research” purposes.
The 34-year-old recently confirmed he had invested in Burnley alongside his wife, Kealia Watt, who is a former USA international footballer.
They revealed they are now part owners of the Turf Moor outfit, who won promotion to the Premier League this season as champions under Vincent Kompany.
Watt and Kealia were in attendance on Monday as Burnley beat Cardiff 3-0 on the final day of the Championship season.
And Watt even got to bring out the Championship trophy after the match before it was presented to the players.
But ahead of the game, Watt revealed he got to know fans during a pub crawl around Turf Moor.
His “research” trip included a visit to The Royal Dyche, which is named after former Burnley boss Sean Dyche.
Watt, who is destined for the NFL Hall of Fame, told BBC Breakfast on Tuesday: “I did a pub crawl yesterday on my way to the stadium.
“So I started at the Royal Dyche, I worked my way down to the Vintage Claret and all my way up to Turf Moor.
“Just getting to know the supporters, I just want to earn their trust by showing them how much we care and how passionate we are.”
FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS – BEST NEW CUSTOMER OFFERS
Watt went on to add that his pub crawl was a great way of getting to know the local fans.
He continued: “It’s research, I’m doing research and lots of pints of Guinness along the way.
“But it was a lot of fun and it was really good to get to know them on a personal level, and hopefully they get to know us as well.”
Ex-Houstan Texans and Arizona Cardinals star Watt has followed fellow Americans Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney into the world of football club ownership.
Reynolds and McElhenney bought Wrexham in 2020 before officially taking over in 2021.
They recently marked promotion to League Two by arranging for their players to enjoy a trip to Las Vegas.