The worlds of American and European soccer are colliding in the latest celebrity sports ownership partnership.

JJ Watt announced on Twitter Monday morning that he’s officially retired… in a way.

The former NFL star is teaming up with his wife, NWSL star Kealia, to invest in Burnley, a newly promoted Premier League and English soccer club. Additionally, Kaelia is hoping to develop the Burnley FC women’s team at the same time.

Here’s what you need to know about the Watt family’s next big investment.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1653074804667285509

“I just love football,” he said, as the video switched to a clip about the NFL. He continued, pulling out a pointer, “No, no. Not that kind. You see, in these islands, they play football with their feet. Just like her,” he gestured to his wife.

An interviewer behind the camera asked him if he wanted to be like Ryan Reynolds, who teamed up with Rob McElhenney in 2020 to buy Welsh football club Wrexham.

Kealia seemed eager to compare.

On the other hand, JJ stated, “We don’t have the ‘buy the whole European football club’ kind of money. We favor minority investments rather than large emotional investments.”

The club has existed for almost a century and a half. In 1882 they became Burnley FC Clarets after Burnley Rovers Rugby Club changed their sporting focus. In 1883, they were one of the first teams to become professional and put pressure on the Football Association to allow player payments.

In 1885, Burnley entered the FA Cup and in 1888 they were considered one of the 12 founders of the Football League. The club is renowned for its youth policy and scouting system, and became a pioneer in establishing a purpose-built training ground under the club’s longest-serving chairman , Bob Lord.

Burnley is headquartered in Burnley, Lancashire, a historic county in the North West of England. The club were English champions 1920-21 and 1959-60, FA Cup winners 1913-14, and FA Charity Shield winners 1960 and 1973.

In the 2022-23 season, they compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club won promotion to the Premier League, the first division of English football, after finishing first in the EFL.

The women’s team was founded after Burnley’s first century of existence, in 1995. The Clarettes were promoted to become part of the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division in the 2017–18 season, where they won three preliminary round matches and qualified for the first time in history.

In 2021, the teams were merged, as the club’s newest American owner, Alan Pace, sought to convert the women’s team to the professional level. The Clarettes played their first match at Turf Moor, the Clarets’ home ground, on April 30, earning themselves third place in the league for the 2022-23 season.

Kealia said: “In America I have seen the NWSL grow into something truly incredible and we want to be a part of growing the women’s team here and be part of their journey . Press release of the franchise.

Insiders estimate that Watts has a total net worth of around $51 million . JJ has accounted for a large portion of that with endorsement deals and NFL earnings during his career.

Watt, 34 years old, officially retires from the Arizona Cardinals and the land of American football after the 2022 season.

The Wisconsin alum spent 12 years in the NFL after going 11th overall in the 2011 Draft. He was on the defensive line for nine years with the Texans before moving to the desert. He was a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, the 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year and set an NFL record by tallying two seasons with more than 20 sacks.

Over the course of his long career, JJ has earned around $129.75 million – $100.75 million with the Texans and even $29 million with the Cardinals, according to Spotrac,

His highest-paid season was in fifth place with Houston, when he earned a whopping $19.97 million.

There isn’t any official information about Kealia Watt’s net worth, but Insider reports that she was paid a salary of $100,000 to play for the USWNT. And as mentioned, her total net worth plus her husband’s is $51 million .

Kealia, 31, is a free agent who most recently played for the Chicago Red Stars, scoring five goals in 2021. She took the entire 2022 season off because of their son, Koa, whom she He was born on October 23.

The North Carolina alum was a member of the Tar Heels’ 2012 championship team and scored the winning goal in overtime in the semifinals. She went 2nd overall in the 2014 NWSL Draft to the Houston Dash, where she remained until 2019, although she missed part of the 2017 season due to a torn ACL. She was traded in 2020 to the Chicago Red Stars for defenseman Katie Naughton.

Insider reports that she was paid a maximum annual salary of $37,800 for the first five years, which increased to $50,000 when she transferred and under new pay policies. NWSL to create equality with their male counterparts.

Kealia also has an international record. She played for US national programs since age 13, being a member of the under-15, -17, -18, -20 and -23 teams. She won the FIFA Women’s World Cup with her U-20 team by scoring the winning goal in the match.

She was called up to the senior national team in 2016, playing a single friendly match against Switzerland. However, she did not make the final roster for the 2018 Tournament of Nations.