The winner of eight Olympic sprinting titles, Usain Bolt retired from athletics in 2017 and is currently on trial at Australia’s Central Coast Mariners. Bolt landed in Sydney in August, draped in a club scarf for what the Mariners are calling an “indefinite training period’. He briefly greeted a small bunch of Mariners fans at the Sydney international airport in August and told the waiting pack that the trial was “for real” as he was excited to hit the training paddock.

The club hoped to turn him into A-League material in just three months, with a view to offering the Jamaican a full-time contract in time for the start of the 2018-19 season in late-October. The Mariners have poured additional coaching and high-performance resources into the project, to make his dream become a reality.

“I’ve said all along this is for real and I’m here to show what I can do,” said Bolt upon landing, where he was greeted by a large media pack and a group of diehard fans.

In a recent pre-season friendly Usain Bolt scored two goals; however he has not been offered a contract by the Mariners but instead a two-year deal from Maltese champions Valletta FC

“Usain does not wish to pursue this Malta opportunity,” said his agent

“There is a lot of interest in Usain playing football,” Ricky Simms also told ESPN. “We regularly receive similar approaches.”

In response, Valletta chief executive Ghasston Slimen said: “We wish Usain Bolt all the best with his football career. The Valletta FC offer is always on the table.”