Bolt isn’t blocking pathway for others
MIKE Mulvey has rejected suggestions that Usain Bolt is blocking opportunities for actual footballers to trial for an A-League contract with the Central Coast Mariners.
The club’s decision to allow Bolt to train with the Mariners’ first team for an “indefinite” period has made headlines around the world but has been met with a mixed reaction in Australian soccer circles.
Some view it as a shameless gimmick at a time when ALeague clubs should be looking more closely at young Australian players, particularly those toiling away in statebased NPL competitions.
But Mulvey said those criticisms did not hold up to scrutiny, pointing to Central Coast’s recruitment of Jordan Murray and Josh McDonald direct from the NSW NPL this week.
“We’re (already) signing some players from the NPL, we’re giving them an opportunity,” Mulvey said. “We’ve trialled over three dozen players from the NPL. We’ve trialled professional players.
“I’m looking at the ALeague now, we’re 14 years old and it’s a bit like a washing machine – players are being spat out from one club and going to another club. Some people have had five or six clubs in that 14 years.
“We’re trying something different.” Mulvey said Bolt’s presence was a “fantastic” opportunity for the club, the local community and the competition at large.