Fuelling a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year takes an insane amount of calories.

Former Texans and Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt recently appeared on the Stick To Football podcast Alongside Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher, Jill Scott and Ian Wright to discuss his playing career and minority investment in Premier League club Burnley.

At one point, the five-time Pro Bowler revealed he consumed 7,500 calories and six meals a day during his quarterback-sacking days – but has run into one problem since spending more time on this side of the pond.

“What does it take to get this big?” Scott asked the two-time NFL sacks leader.

“One of the nicest things about being retired is that I don’t have to eat at the same level that I had to eat at before – which sounds like a great problem to have,” Watt said.

He admitted, however, that getting enough protein in the UK has proven tricky.

“It’s an interesting thing being in England. Finding enough protein over here is difficult.

“The meals just don’t have the same amount of protein.

“There’s so much bread,” he joked.

“Beans on toast, eggs on toast, everything’s on toast which is delicious but I need some steak, I need some fish.”

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Scott then queried how many calories Watt would consume during a typical day during his playing career – and his answer was pretty astounding.

“When I was playing my average was probably 7,500 a day,” Watt replied.

“Wow!” a stunned Ian Wright exclaimed.

“Right now I’m on about 4,500 calories a day,” Watt went on.

“At my peak it was two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners.

“It was like a job.

“And it all had to be healthy. It was a lot of chicken breast, a lot of white rice, a lot of basic stuff, which is harder to get your calories in.

“I train weights four days a week and I do cardio three days a week,” he said of his current weekly training split.

The 6ft 5in, 289 lbs defensive end has been open about his diet in the past, telling GQ in 2016 that his day started with about 900 calories of oatmeal and a half-dozen eggs before a second breakfast a few hours later with another four or five eggs along with two slices of wheat toast layered with peanut butter, banana, and honey.

A typical lunch would consist of three chicken breasts with whole wheat pasta and Italian dressing with a side of broccoli while a second lunch in the afternoon featured more of the same – chicken breasts, alongside mashed sweet potatoes, and steamed carrots.

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Dinner would see Watt consume lamb chops with whole wheat pasta and grilled asparagus.

His daily calorie intake would end with a second dinner, usually a filet with whole wheat pasta and steamed broccoli.

“Some days it can feel like all I’m doing is eating,” Watt told People in 2019.

“It’s all about giving my body the tools it needs to perform at a high level.”

That amount of calories may seem like a lot but it makes total sense given what J.J.’s training regimen used to look like.

He would reportedly often wake up at 5am-6am and engage in a 30- 40 minute warm up.

His warm ups usually consisted of planks, glute extensions, side planks with a raised leg, lateral leg walks with bands, bird-dogs, and dead-bugs.

The All-Pro DE would then work out for around 90 minutes a day, mixing in free weights, functional training, conditioning, footwork drills, and resistance band exercises.

Watt made five All-Pro teams while playing 12 years with the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals.

He’s expected to enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame.