The eight-time Olympic gold medallist athletics Usain Bolt’s attempt to become a professional footballer with Australia’s Central Coast Mariners shattered on Friday as his try-out last year’s trial period was terminated.
Bolt says he has received support from Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling in his desire to pursue a football career.
The 32-year-old athletics now given up on dream saying “the sports life is over” adding “it was fun while it lasted. You live and you learn. It was a good experience, I really enjoyed just being in a team.”
The professional atheist played A-League outfit in two trial games and scored twice against weak opposition, but appeared to find the transition from track to field tricky.
He turned down an offer from Maltese club Valletta, reportedly because the club could not afford his wage demands, and also spent time training with Norwegian team Stromsgodset and German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.
The team coach coach Mike Mulvey made clear that Bolt, who favors playing up front, was unlikely to get much game time in the A-League even if he signed, with the team boosting an experienced front line.
The star was speaking as he handed over a $1 million cheque to help fund Jamaica’s team at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in the United Arab Emirates in March.
The atheist who given up his sporting career in 2017, holding the highest record, now he is ready to call time on his sporting career to focus on his business endeavors.
“I’m just doing many different things … the sports life is over, so I’m now moving into different businesses, I have a lot of things in the pipeline, so as I say, I’m just dabbling in everything and trying to be a business man now.”
> Shatabdi Sarker Poushi
Sports Life is Over: Usain Bolt Hanging up on Football Dream
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