- Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jermaine Kearse is an enthusiastic football fan
- Kearse plays with West Ham United on FIFA video game
- American football star won the Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2013
The Hammers are spending a week at the Seahawks’ stunning VMAC training complex, where a number of the NFL club’s star players have dropped in for voluntary workouts.
Among them was wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, who was one of four players – star cornerback Richard Sherman, fellow receiver Doug Baldwin and defensive back DeShawn Shead – to spend time chatting to West Ham captain Mark Noble on Tuesday.
“I’ve been watching soccer for quite some time,” he told West Ham TV. “At first, I wasn’t a big fan, but it’s definitely grown on me and I enjoy watching and watching the skills. It’s a different sport, so I can appreciate things like that.
“I guess the exciting thing is that when teams do score it’s a pretty big deal. It’s the anticipation and the build-up of a goal happening. Not too many people like the slow pace of scoring, but it’s something I enjoy.”
Kearse’s Seahawks share the stunning CenturyLink Field with the MLS’s Seattle Sounders, and the Lakewood, Washington native says the Pacific Northwest is a hotbed of football fanaticism in the United States.
“We have a huge soccer following here in Seattle,” he confirmed. “The Sounders sometimes even pack our stadium, so the fans love it out here and really show their support.
“I don’t know if it gets as loud as it does at a Seahawks game, but they certainly have a lot of fun there.”
Kearse, who won the Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2013, revealed that he became a ‘soccer’ enthusiast after playing the popular FIFA football video game.
“That’s kind of how my following of football grew, by playing FIFA. It teaches you the game, which is good because a lot of people don’t understand the game, but then you start playing the game and to understand it.
“I like to match up. A lot of people like to use Real Madrid or Barcelona, but I like to mix it up and use the Tottenham, the Chelsea or the West Ham. I’ll go home today and challenge someone with your guys!”
“We have a huge soccer following here in Seattle,” he confirmed. “The Sounders sometimes even pack our stadium, so the fans love it out here and really show their support.
“I don’t know if it gets as loud as it does at a Seahawks game, but they certainly have a lot of fun there.”
Kearse, who won the Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2013, revealed that he became a ‘soccer’ enthusiast after playing the popular FIFA football video game.
“That’s kind of how my following of football grew, by playing FIFA. It teaches you the game, which is good because a lot of people don’t understand the game, but then you start playing the game and to understand it.
“I like to match up. A lot of people like to use Real Madrid or Barcelona, but I like to mix it up and use the Tottenham, the Chelsea or the West Ham. I’ll go home today and challenge someone with your guys!”