Usian Bolt set to get his first professional football trial in Australia

The eight-time Olympic gold medalist had earlier trained with Borussia Dortmund and could soon make his professional bow.

Jamaican track and field icon Usain Bolt is set to land in Australia to fulfill his passion for playing football at a recognized level. The retired Olympic sprinter is an 8-time gold medal winner at the Olympics and has almost always taken the running events by storm. He had previously been flirting with a move to some of the big European clubs and he even trained with the Borussia Dortmund first-team towards the end of last season. 

Watch: Usain Bolt's training day at Borussia Dortmund

Usain Bolt is said to have been talking to the management of A-League side, Central Coast Mariners. The interest was made concrete after the club had been monitoring the Olympic sprinter for close to six months and officials stated that Bolt could possibly sign a season-long deal that would see him adorn the Yellow and Navy jersey of the Mariners.

Bolt will now be on trial with the A-League side and will be with the club for an initial six weeks, which will be used to assess the player. Post this assessment period, the club will decide whether or not to award Bolt a professional contract. With the former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan being appointed as the Sporting Director of the Mariners, he could very well mastermind this deal and be the person to take it over the finish line. 

The Mariners' staff had been closely monitoring Bolt when the 100m and 200m record-holder trained at football clubs in various countries. The reports suggested that the 31-year-old was worth pursuing and was going to be worth breaking the bank for.

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One of the best aspects of Bolt’s game has to be his raw pace. Even though he’s at an age that an average footballer would consider old, Bolt comes from a background of sprinting and in football, a difference-maker between the defender and the offensive player is often the short burst of acceleration that sets the attacker free and possibly through on goal. 

Bolt has a freakish physique and if he can actually show some talent on the football pitch, there is very little the defenders can do to stop the man. Standing at 6ft and 3 inches and playing in a quintessential #9 position, could be what is best for him and for the club.

Bolt could also experiment with himself down the wings, as it will give him a lot of space and just one man to worry about. Giving the Olympic sprinter space down the wings could be a good tactic for the club as his blistering pace cannot be easily matched by any athlete in the world.

All said and done, Bolt still has to perform well during his assessment period for the club management to think that he will be worth the time and money that is being put in to bring him to the club. If there is one thing to be sure of, it is the fact that this is not a PR stunt, as Bolt’s agent Tony Rallis confirmed his interest to play in the A-League. Will the Olympian conquer the football turf too? Only time will tell.