Legendary Sprinter Usain Bolt will join Central Coast Mariners for an “indefinite training period”, the Australian club have confirmed.
Bolt who has never hidden his desire to play professional football has trained with the likes of Borrusia Dortmund, Mamelodi Sundowns and Stromgodset.
The 100m and 200m world record holder is delighted to be given another opportunity to realize his agelong dream of playing football.
“I am very excited about coming to Australia,” said Bolt.
“It has been my dream to play professional football and I know that it will involve a lot of hard work and training to get to the level required to play and make an impact in the A-League.
“I always say that ‘anything is possible, don’t think limits’ and I look forward to the challenge.”
Bolt who announced his retirement from Athletics in 2017 will have to prove himself before getting a contract with the Australian Club
Chief Executive Officer of Central Coast Mariner Shaun Mielekamp does not want to be distracted by the hype surrounding the former athlete but he wants to focus on the job at hand.
“Our goal is to be the most innovative, entertaining and community-minded sports brand in Australia, this is our competitive edge,” he added.
“Having Usain Bolt come to the club to train and hopefully develop into a professional football player is perfectly aligned to this part of the club’s philosophy.
“It is important that we don’t get too caught up in the hype of possibilities, but the reality is that Usain Bolt has placed his faith in the Central Coast Mariners to accelerate his football journey.
“Whilst we all know this must be tempered with the reality that there is a job to do and hard work ahead, we are committed to building a team that will win matches and instills belief.
“Hopefully Usain can help us on this mission.”
