Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world, is set for a six-week trial with Australian A-League club Central Coast Mariners. If Bolt manages to impress, he could secure a one-year deal with the Mariners.
Front page of The Daily Telegraph Usain Bolt to play in the A-League pic.twitter.com/bdRYtvjTyw
— Christopher Dore (@wrongdorey) July 16, 2018
Bolt retired from his athletics career last year, and since then the Jamaican sprinter has gone on to trial with Bundesliga giant Borussia Dortmund and Norwegian side Stromsgodset.
Bolt is a well-known soccer fan, harboring dreams of playing for Premier League side Manchester United. At age 31, he still has a few years of athletic prowess left in him, so it’s not an entirely unthinkable concept.
The Mariners released a statement Monday saying they could “confirm that it has been in negotiations with the Olympic champion & world record holder, regarding the opportunity to trial here on the Central Coast.”
Club statement, regarding @usainbolt: https://t.co/YEPoldhcXb#CCMFC #ALeague pic.twitter.com/CmS7KjJdTZ
— Central Coast Mariners (@CCMariners) July 16, 2018
The Mariners finished in 10th place in the A-League last season, and will be looking to bounce back after a fourth consecutive season of not making the playoffs.
.@CCMariners have confirmed they're in talks to sign @usainbolt.
They've also delivered a clear blueprint of what he has to do to earn a professional contract: https://t.co/XqGgFDYkXj pic.twitter.com/9aSIX863St— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) July 17, 2018
Mike Mulvey is the new man in charge for the Mariners, as previous head coach Paul Okon resigned in March. Mulvey has previously won a Championship with Brisbane Roar in 2014 and will no doubt be looking to emulate that success with the Mariners.
Shaun Mielekamp, the CEO of the Central Coast Mariners, said he believes it is a win-win deal for the club. “There can be no losers here. Usain can come and trial and if he’s no good then they’ll give him some good feedback to where he can improve. If he does come and perform then great.”
Could Usain Bolt be the biggest name to play two professional sports? If his trial goes well, then who knows. Imagine being a defender and seeing the fastest man in the world dribbling at you, full speed ahead.
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