NFL legend and Burnley FC stakeholder J.J. Watt was thrilled after the Clarets announced Vincent Kompany signed a new contract with the club.
Watt has become a successful entrepreneur alongside wife Kealia, a former USWNT soccer player, since retiring from the NFL. He walked away from the sport after the 2022 campaign as a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
The Watts invested in Burnley following their promotion back to the Premier League - and his decision to join the club’s ownership group is little coincidence. Back in October 2021, two-time Super Bowl champion Malcolm Jenkins became a minority investor in Burnley’s ownership group, ALK Capital Investment.
Kompany has been linked with a move to a number of attractive jobs after leading Burnley back to the Premier League as champions of the Championship while playing attractive attacking football. On Sunday however, the club announced Kompany has signed a new contract to extend his time with the Clarets.
Watt was thrilled with the news. Along with a laughing emoji, a GiF of Kompany dropping a microphone, the 34-year-old took to social media to write: “But all the rumours said he was going…”
Watt is one of the NFL’s all-time great defensive players and leaves behind a legacy of greatness both on and off the field following his 12-year career. In 2017, he was named the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year and the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year after he led a fundraising effort that raised more than $37 million in Hurricane Harvey relief for the Houston community, where he played with the Texans.
Houston drafted Watt 11th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, and he spent 10 seasons with the franchise before joining the Arizona Cardinals. In 14 games with the Cardinals last season, Watt made 33 tackles (14 for loss) and posted 21 quarterback hits, 9.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
It appears Watt is enjoying his retirement so far and both he and Kealia will be at Turf Moor for the club’s final Championship home game of the season against Cardiff City on May 8. The duo are clearly interested and excited by the project at Burnley ahead of their Premier League return.
After the investment was confirmed, the couple said: “When you invest in a club that’s been around since 1882, you must have great respect for its history and tradition. We understand that not only are we investing in the squad and manager, we’re investing in the town and its people. We take that responsibility very seriously and intend to work hard in earning their trust and support.
“We have such great respect for what has been built here by Alan, Vincent and the entire organisation and are looking forward to working with them. We believe that Burnley is a special club with incredible supporters and we want to help continue to elevate its global profile on its return to the Premier League.”
