Football news - Usain Bolt offered professional contract at Central Coast Mariners
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Updated 21/10/2018 at 10:51 GMT
Eight-time Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt has been offered a professional football contract after a trial period with A-League club Central Coast Mariners.
Usain Bolt
Image credit: Getty Images
After retiring as the greatest sprinter in history, Bolt has been trying to win a professional deal with the club and scored twice in an exhibition game to give some weight to his unlikely dream of making it in football.
The 32-year-old had been offered a speculative contract by Maltese club Valletta - but turned down the chance to move to Europe.
And now the Mariners have offered Bolt a contract to become a professional footballer.
"I can confirm Usain has been offered a contract by Central Coast Mariners," agent Ricky Simms told ESPN.
According to ESPN:
Mariners chief executive Shaun Mielekamp reportedly tabled the contract offer with Bolt's management over the weekend and, after the player turned down Valletta FC's two-year offer, he will now consider if he wants to play in the A-League.
Former Australia international Mark Schwarzer had said Bolt stood a good chance of landing a contract with the club.
"I think he's got a good chance, purely because he's been there for so long," Schwarzer told ESPN earlier this week. "They think he's got something and that's why they've also got him there."
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Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt celebrates scoring his first goal with his teammates from A-League football club Central Coast Mariners in his first competitive start for the club against Macarthur South West United in Sydney on October 12, 2018
Image credit: Getty Images
Central Coast opened their A-League campaign with a 1-1 draw against Melbourne Roar on Sunday and speaking after the game, coach Mike Mulvey said he was unaware of any deal for Bolt.
"That's for a few pay grades above my level," Mulvey said.
I do appreciate how important this story is for the rest of the world. But you have a look at our frontline today and you wonder if he could get into any of those positions, wouldn't you? I don't know anything about what you're talking about and that's god's honest truth.
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