Usain Bolt in frame to make his professional football debut as he starts on the bench for Central Coast Mariners… (and he will wear shirt No 95 with 12,000 fans set to turn out to watch Olympic sprinter play)
Usain Bolt is in line to make his professional football debut with the Olympic sprinter being named on the bench for Central Coast Mariners’ pre-season friendly against Central Coast Select.
12,000 fans are set to turn out in Mariners’ home town of Gosford, near Sydney, for the occasion and can expect to see their man in action with Marines coach Mike Mulvey admitting this week Bolt will most likely play some part in the match.
The Jamaican sprinter has been handed the shirt No 95 with a nod to his world record 100m time of 9.58 seconds, which he ran to take gold at the World Athletics Championship in Berlin back in 2009.
Usain Bolt may make professional football debut as Central Coast Mariners name him on bench
The eight-time Olympic champion has had an ambition of earning a professional contract ever since retiring from athletics in 2017 and is currently on trial with the Marines with hope of playing for them in the A-League this season.
Bolt, who played in this year’s Soccer Aid, admitted this week he will be nervous when stepping out on to the pitch for his debut.
‘There will be nerves,’ the 100m world record holder told reporters ahead of Friday’s match.
‘It’s not like it is a charity game anymore, this is a career that I am pursuing.
‘I expect to make mistakes but I also expect to go out there, make myself proud and to push myself. I know I’m not going to have a perfect game.’
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