Saturday, 23rd November 2024

Usain Bolt leaves Australian football club Central Coast Mariners

The Jamaican eight-time Olympic sprint champion joined A-League side for an "indefinite training period" in August

Friday, 2nd November 2018

Jamaican speedster Usain Bolt's trial with Australian football club Central Coast Mariners has come to an end. The Jamaican eight-time Olympic sprint champion, 31, joined the A-League side for an "indefinite training period" in August.

He scored two goals in his first effort for the Mariners in a friendly, but did not play matches when the season began.

Efforts to secure a "commercial solution" to keep Bolt at the club had failed, the Mariners said on Friday.

Last month, the Mariners said they had made a contract proposal broken down into "football" and "commercial" terms. However, it hinged on a contribution from a "third party". Despite meetings with "several promising potential partners" no deal could be reached, the club said.

Mariners owner Mike Charlesworth thanked Bolt for his eight-week trial, describing it as a success.

"He integrated very well into the team and made great strides as a footballer,"  Charlesworth said.

The 100m and 200m world record holder has described it as his "dream" to play professional football. "I would like to thank the Central Coast Mariners owners, management, staff, players and fans for making me feel so welcome during my time there," he said on Friday.

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