Harry gives his backing to new NFL community initiative

Harry Kane has signed up as an Ambassador for the NFL Academy – a new sports and education initiative based in North London and run in partnership with Barnet and Southgate College.

The Academy is being delivered as part of the Club’s 10-year partnership with the NFL - an example of the unique opportunities our new stadium and its wider programme of events is bringing to the people of our local community.

It begins operations in September, 2019, offering student athletes aged 16-18 the opportunity to combine education with life skills and intensive training in the sport under full-time professional coaches.

Supported by Nike and based at Barnet and Southgate College, the NFL Academy will provide students with pathways into employment, further education and even the potential opportunity to play NCAA college football in the United States.

Alistair Kirkwood, Managing Director, NFL UK, said: “We are thrilled to have Harry on board as an ambassador. The involvement of high-profile UK figures alongside our NFL stars is an important element of the Academy. Harry’s achievements can serve as an inspiration to our students and his strong connection to the local area, along with his well-known love of the NFL, makes him a meaningful and credible participant in the Academy.”

Harry, who himself progressed through the Tottenham Hotspur Academy before establishing himself in the First Team, said: “I’m so proud to be an Ambassador for the NFL Academy. I’m a huge fan of the NFL and have been following it for a while. I’m so excited about the Club bringing NFL to Tottenham and the benefits the partnership has for our local community. I can’t wait to see the NFL Academy in action.”

The striker joins a host of the US sport’s biggest names in backing the NFL Academy, including Odell Beckham Jnr, Hall of Famer Jerry Rice and London-born stars Jay Ajayi and Efe Obada.

Recruitment for the first cohort of approximately 80 students has been taking place over the past month, with the final try-outs staged on Tuesday - the first event on our stadium’s dedicated NFL field.

David Lammy, MP for Tottenham, was in attendance at the event and said: “The young people involved are everyday Londoners that are getting the opportunity to access a truly global sport – the fact that it is happening here in Tottenham is incredibly exciting. Most of my constituents would never have thought about possibly going to an American University – now the opportunity is in front of their eyes.

“Football has always given young people from underprivileged backgrounds the opportunity to achieve their dreams – Tottenham Hotspur have been doing that for decades in this community. I think the new stadium, combined with NFL, takes this on 100 steps further.

“You have a global brand in Tottenham Hotspur, now in partnership with an organisation like the NFL, and it’s all emanating from this small community in Tottenham that I am proud to represent – our community may be small but, thanks to this new stadium, our reach is now huge.

“The stadium is already reviving the shops and neighbourhoods, it’s bringing in major partners and with that comes investment, jobs and apprenticeship opportunities. All of this makes it an extremely important catalyst for regeneration.”

As well as the Academy, NFL Games will be part of a wide and varied stadium content programme that will see concerts and other sports and cultural events attracted to the area, boosting the local economy and creating a hive of activity in Tottenham 365 days a year.

The first games are scheduled for later this year, when Chicago Bears take on Oakland Raiders on Sunday 6 October, followed by the Carolina Panthers facing Tampa Bay Buccaneers a week later on Sunday 13 October as part of the annual NFL London Series.