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The New England Patriots, Super Bowl champions three times this decade, will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in front of an expected crowd of around 65,000 at Wembley on Sunday.

The fixture - designated as a 'home' game for the Bucs - is part of the NFL regular season schedule and is the third such match to be played in London as part of the league's attempt to broaden the sport's appeal across the world.

With basketball also targeting a global audience - the Chicago Bulls defeated Utah Jazz in an exhibition game at the O2 Arena earlier this month - NFL officials are keen to present the most attractive face possible.

That is where Tom Brady comes in.

Like David Beckham, the clean-cut 32-year-old is the good-looking poster boy of his sport and is also as likely to be pictured in the celebrity columns as the sports pages due to his high-profile wife - Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

But, whereas Beckham has sometimes been accused of letting his showbiz lifestyle distract from his day job, Brady has always been all business.

As if to underline the point, Brady stepped off the Patriots' flight to London dressed in an immaculate grey suit, while the rest of his team-mates wore tracksuits.

California-born Brady - an avid follower of European football - is relishing the chance to play at such an historic venue as Wembley, but he is more concerned about keeping the Patriots on course for the NFL play-offs.

"We're all very excited to play in Wembley Stadium, as historic a stadium as there is in the entire world," said Brady, who missed the whole of last season with a serious knee injury.

"It's an incredible stadium, I've seen it on TV and I've watched a lot of European soccer.

"This is a game that we'll be remembering for the next 40, 50 years of our lives, so we all want to go out and play as well as we can."

The form of the two teams going into the match could not be any more of a contrast.

The Buccaneers have lost all six of their matches so far, while the Patriots, who also include star wide receiver Randy Moss in their line-up, have a 4-2 record and routed the Tennessee Titans 59-0 last Sunday.

But Brady added: "We don't underestimate anybody. Tampa Bay has not played the way they were hoping this year but every week is different."

Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris is desperate to ensure his team - the property of the Glazer family who also own Manchester United - don't get used as Wembley whipping boys for Brady and company.

"You are happy to take your game international and make it a bigger game than it already is, we're excited about that," he said.

"But at same time we're going to play a team that just scored 59 points. (Patriots coach) Bill Belichick is not going to take it easy on us. It's going to be a business trip.

"Motivation is high. Nobody wants to be embarrassed on Sundays. You go out, you practice hard, you play hard. Motivation is easy."

AFP