'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMGkyX//xAAeEAADAAEEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMFAAQSEwYR0f/aAAgBAQABPwDwnEyyO1ydXrSZkIyYL6PNLP1n7qx66ugAPFiNf//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACQf/aAAgBAgEBPwBaf//EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABMf/aAAgBAwEBPwBw/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Usain Bolt has opened up about why he started a football career in Australia, where he joined Central Coast Mariners on trial. The legendary athlete made a name for himself in 2008 when he broke the world record for the 100-meter sprint at the Olympics in Beijing.
However, his foray into football didn't pan out too well after he retired from athletics. Usain Bolt notably got the opportunity to train with Borussia Dortmund, as he revealed on The Obi One Podcast (via SPORTbible):
“For me, it was some training initially because Puma sponsored Dortmund so they were like, ‘You know what, come for a few days, hang out, train with the guys and you never know what could come from it.’ It was fun.”
However, he opted for a move out of Europe entirely, switching to Central Coast Mariners in Australia:
“I think that was a mistake. The reason I went was because the media was so much on me, they were like, ‘Let’s see what Usain could do.’ I knew if I stayed in Europe and I had different teams in France, different levels of leagues. If I stayed in Europe, the media would be on me."
Usain Bolt revealed how the freedom from the media helped him make a decision to go Down Under:
“Some of my friends went, ‘Yo, the Australian league, it’s easy, you can come and learn and develop.’ I was thinking yeah that’s a nice idea, no one is going to travel that far to come and watch us.”
The legendary athlete eventually did not play a competitive game for Central Coast Mariners although he did score twice during trials.
Usain Bolt talks about how trials went with the Australian club
It wasn't exactly easy for Usain Bolt to get into form with Central Coast Mariners, as he revealed on the Obi One Podcast. Recalling his time in Australia, he said (via SPORTbible):
“When I got there, training was going well. I even called my coach because to get fit it was different, football training is different, they didn’t do a lot of running like I did to get in shape, I was like ‘I’m never going to get in shape like this.’ They do a lot of ball work and then one day a week they run, I called my coach and asked him to send me a programme to get into shape.”
The legendary athlete also spoke about the goals he scored on trial and added:
“We played and I scored two goals, I was working and I said two months and I will be ready. I know my plan and I was working with the assistant coach so I knew I was going to be ready to go.”
Usain Bolt has since retired from football, with the 37-year-old now too old to build a career in the sport.
