'I didn't get a fair chance' at Mariners, says Bolt

Usain Bolt thinks he wasn't given a fair crack of the whip during his time trialling with the Central Coast Mariners.

Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt in action for Central Coast Mariners Source: Getty Images

Olympic legend Bolt, at the age of 32, spent a few months on trial with the A-League club at the end of 2018.

Mariners then-coach Mike Mulvey said he would give Bolt up to a year with them as the sprint king sought a contract to begin a post-athletics professional football career.

Ultimately he could not break into Mulvey's A-League squad, and after appearing in two friendlies (scoring two goals) an agreement could not be reached on a contract and Bolt departed Australia.

In an interview with Wide World of Sports, the Jamaican discussed how he looks back on his time in Gosford with disappointment.

"I think I didn't get a fair chance," Bolt said.

"I didn't do it how I wanted to do it, but it's something I think I would've been good at.
"But it's just one of those things you miss out on and just have to move on."

"I do think about it sometimes that it didn't work out the way that I wanted it to, because football is something that I love.

He revealed interested parties still get in touch to this day about the possibility of him playing football, but with the recent birth of his daughter, Olympia Lightning, he's happy in retirement for now.

"I've had calls of people asking me if I really want to [go back to football], but after the time period has passed, I'm like you know what, I'm getting old, let's just retire and I now have my daughter so she keeps me busy," said Bolt.

After the Mariners stint, Bolt had a brief flirtation with Maltese club Valletta, but after those negotiations also failed he officially announced the end of his pursuit of professional football in early 2019.


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2 min read
Published 7 August 2020 12:13pm
By SBS The World Game
Source: SBS

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