A TRUE BLUE
NFL AT WEMBLEY JJ’S a big Chelsea fan
JJ WATT saw a trip to London go up in smoke last week with a seasonending injury against Oakland.
But at least the Houston star will now be able to devote more time to his other sporting passion – the Premier League and his favourite team, Chelsea.
Watt, 30, turned professional eight years ago in the same season as the Blues were crowned kings of Europe.
And he still remembers how the goal hero t hat night, Didier
Drogba ( right), turned him on to the Premier League.
The 6ft 5 i n,
21- stone defensive end, who is engaged to Houston Dash midfielder Kealia Ohai, said: “Once it started to get prominent on TV in America, I started to watch it. They would show it on Saturdays and it’s the first thing on in the morning.
“I didn’t know anything about the teams, about the traditions, the history, the rivalries.
“But I visited Stamford Bridge and I got to see Chelsea play and I got to see Drogba’s last game as a Blue.
“I really started to get into it then and started researching the hi history, t th the t traditions, diti all ll the th clubs, all the rivalries, all the derbies, and I fell in love with it.
“I mean I truly, absolutely love watching it every single weekend.
International
“Two weeks ago sucked because it was international break but I’ll watch Newcastle play Sheffield United. Doesn’t matter to me if it’s top of the table or bottom of the table. I watched Sunderland Til I Die. I watch everything.”
Watt, who misses t oday’s Wembley showdown against Jacksonville with a pectoral injury, became a national icon in 2017 when he raised $37million for Houston flood victims of Hurricane Harvey.
But don’t ask him to choose between NFL and Premier League on TV.
“Premier League, by far,” he said. “I love watching it. Right now I love watching Teemu Pukki. He’s so much fun and he just scores goals.”
JJ Watt was speaking prior to the Texans game against Jacksonville at Wembley today, on behalf of the city’s Greater Houston Partnership. Go to visithouston.org to explore America’s fourth-largest city.