Wanted: The Singing Footballer | Clare Henney

Yes, Nate Burkey (@nateburkey) of the Philippine Azkals and UFL team Kaya FC aka Sando Boy (more on that later) is wanted for a singing showdown with me. OK, I admit that I’m not exactly Regine Velasquez but I’m willing to bet that he isn’t exactly Josh Groban either. I’m guessing that I won’t embarrass myself for daring the guy to a sing-off. If I’m wrong, I could always say that my purpose was to sing a duet instead. As Alice from the book Alice in Wonderland said: “Curiouser and curiouser.” That’s what I think about Nate Burkey. The first time I saw him on TV, I have to admit that the first thing I noticed was the good looks. I couldn’t help it: he’s the tall, dark and handsome type after all.

Later on the guy got my attention with the way he made that goal against Nepal and all the goals he’s made so far with Kaya FC in the UFL. I see how he plays and even though he has the talent to score more goals, I see how he makes the effort to give the other guys in the team a shot to do the same. Talented AND unselfish!

After that, I became so amused with the photos of him wearing a sando (Tagalog slang for a wifebeater/sleeveless undershirt), which got me and my friends calling him Sando Boy (very superhero-ish in a Pinoy sort of way – yes I am trying to justify the monicker). Apparently he has a liking for that type of clothing because from his appearances on Sports Unlimited to a sighting of him in a bar in Tacloban he has been spotted wearing a sando. I even remember looking at a Kaya FC photo and wondered which one was Nate and – surprise – he was the only one in a sando (sige na, ikaw na ang may amazing arms).

OK so far I’ve said tall, dark and handsome, talented/unselfish and Sando Boy. Apart from that, something that has caught my interest in the guy is how down to earth he seems and how positive his vibe is. His tweets are often full of gratitude for the blessings in his life and about other positive things, including admitting to being a Mama’s Boy (plus points in my book). His tweets makes me think he’s a guy with a good heart.  All that handsome and hunk-ish image aside, his smile has me thinking that he’s a bit of a dork as well (and I mean that in a good way). I digress so let me get back to my point: all that I’ve mentioned has got me curious, interested and made me a fan of Nate Burkey but the one thing that really gets to me now is that I often see photos of him with a microphone but I have NOT heard him sing! I want to hear it!  More than that, I want to sing with him! Every single time I see a photo of the guy singing I can’t help but wonder what his singing voice sounds like.  Can he actually carry a tune or does he just enjoy singing? Does he sing for the fun of it or only when he’s had alcohol in his system? I want to know more! So, to satisfy my curiosity, I am making public my invitation to have a sing-off (or a duet, if daring him to a sing-off is actually a point of embarrassment on my part) with Nate Burkey.  Would he be willing to take the challenge?  Let’s wait and see shall we? Nate, it’s up to you now.  Leave me a message here or on Twitter if you accept my invitation.

*Note:  Nate Burkey’s photos are not mine but were taken from Twitter, Google and Tumblr.