JJ Watt wants to restore the Burnley of old. For a man used to the glitzy environs of America’s NFL, who once had a $100million contract and lived in a place called Paradise Valley, he comes across remarkably in touch with this humble corner of Lancashire which he claims to love.
‘For a very long time, you knew what you were getting at Burnley,’ the club’s minority owner tells Daily Mail Sport. ‘You were in for a fight.
‘I want a strong identity. We are going to outwork everybody, we are going to out-tough everybody. You are in for a very long day.’
If this all sounds rather Sean Dyche-coded, you’d be right. Burnley lacked their usual grit last season. The Clarets are back in the Championship after an abysmal relegation – their fifth divisional change in as many seasons. They won one of their last 29 games and had the league’s worst defensive record. Pride in the shirt feels at a low ebb and, as such, Watt has made a change.
Burnley have released a new away kit, designed by Watt over the course of two years, which harks back to the club’s history and resurrects an old crest. He spent time filming the promo on a nearby dairy farm and driving a milk cart over Lancastrian potholes. For a man who repeats the word ‘work’ 10 times during our interview, it feels fitting.
‘The history and tradition of the club is what makes it special,’ says Watt. ‘Maybe some people prefer London or Manchester, but going around Burnley, I love it.
Burnley co-owner JJ Watt is hoping they can fight their way out of the Championship again
The Clarets are aiming to be promoted from the second tier for a third consecutive time
‘We’re trying to really capture the essence of what Burnley is. The reason I built this kit is to try and preserve that history.’
It will take more than a polyester jersey and sweet talk to dispel the gloom from Turf Moor. They last won at home 286 days ago, when England had only just qualified for the World Cup.
First-team stars in Jaidon Anthony and Maxime Esteve have left, while Lesley Ugochukwu has gone on loan to Galatasaray. Scott Parker was sacked in April and the Clarets have appointed Nicky Hayen, who won the Belgian Pro League with Club Brugge in 2023-24, as his successor. It is a gamble.
‘One of the first things Nicky said when he came in was that we need to train twice a day,’ says Watt, a former Pizza Hut delivery man. ‘I absolutely love that. It’s all about his work ethic, his tactics, his aggressiveness. We always want to be on the front foot.
‘He wants these guys to have no egos, to put the crest before their last name, and it’s been great so far.’
‘Great’ is perhaps a stretch – Burnley are winless in five pre-season games against Cincinnati, Columbus Crew, Real Salt Lake, Ajax, and sister club Espanyol, though Hayen took a watching brief for the first two.
Watt wants to add his expertise without being overbearing. He and Hayen will discuss tactics, set-pieces and how to optimise a player’s diet and recovery.
They have already gone about reinforcing the midfield, making Florentino’s loan from Benfica permanent for £20.8million, and bringing in Ugo Raghouber from Lille.
The former NFL star models their new away kit, which harkens back to the club’s history
He relies on the support of his wife Kealia, a former United States international player
Former Club Brugge manager Nicky Hayen – who won them a league title – has taken the reins
Watt has been involved with Burnley for three years and his arrival was treated with some scepticism. When 12 of the Premier League’s 20 clubs have American owners, the last thing many traditional English fans want is another new face from across the pond with their bombast and unusual sporting ideas – though some years, Burnley fans probably wouldn’t mind scrapping relegation.
To his credit, Watt is a long-time follower of football and speaks with authenticity. He played as a kid, watched matches at the crack of dawn as an NFL player, and his wife, Kealia, is a former United States international. Crucially, during our chat at least, he calls the sport by its correct name.
‘I was drawn to the English game because of the passion, the history, and traditions,’ he says.
‘My favourite custom by far is my matchday routine where I get dropped off at the Royal Dyche and have a pint of Guinness with everybody there.
‘Then I take a little walk around the corner to Burnley Miners’ Club where I get myself one Bene Bomb. Then I walk the rest of the way into the Bob Lord Stand and get myself ready for the match. I meet supporters and hear the pulse of what they’re thinking.’
He can’t always be in England for matches, but watches from Houston. Burnley are gathering popularity Stateside, where they spent some of pre-season.
‘It’s pretty funny how matchday has grown. My phone used to be silent on matchdays when we won or scored,’ he explains.
‘I’d text somebody and say, “hey, we just won,” and they’d say, “I didn’t know it was on.” Now, my phone is blowing up the second we score. My dad is texting me, I’ve got random people coming out of the woodwork. I’ll know if my TV is lagging or not because I’ll have everybody texting me when I haven’t seen a goal yet.
‘It’s been really cool to see so many Burnley fans, random kids on the streets wearing old Burnley kits.’
Whether they’ll come to treasure the new away strip will depend partly on the memories they make in it. Promotion is the target. As ever, the Championship remains an unpredictable beast.
