Mariners confirm Bolt offer

OLYMPIC sprint champion Usain Bolt has been offered a professional contract by Australian A-League outfit the Central Coast Mariners but a deal is unlikely without an external third-party financial contribution, the club said yesterday.

The 32-year-old Jamaican, a passionate football fan, has been on trial at the club since August as he attempts to make an audacious switch to a second professional sport after one of the most decorated careers in athletics.

“The club can confirm that a contract proposal has been offered by the Central Coast Mariners and negotiations remain ongoing with Usain Bolt and his management regarding his football future,” the Mariners said in a statement.

Despite two goals in a preseason friendly, Bolt’s performances for the Mariners have not been overly impressive and manager Mike Mulvey suggested that the Jamaican would not on current form be worth a place in his side.

The club said Bolt had made “great progression” in his time at the Gosford-based club and it was looking at ways to give him “more individual intensive training and competitive game time” but that it would have to be away from the A-League.

“Usain Bolt’s management and the Central Coast Mariners are in conversations with external partners to find a commercial solution that suits all parties,” it said. “Without the financial contribution of an external third party, it is unlikely that Usain Bolt and the Central Coast Mariners will agree to terms.”

Bolt will not train with the Mariners until a deal is finalized, the statement added.