Training with Bolt simply ‘surreal’ for McGlinchey
Michael McGlinchey’s return to the Central Coast Mariners has been overshadowed by the presence of the world’s fastest trialist.
The All Whites midfielder didn’t have hordes of media waiting for him at the airport when he flew into Sydney ready to begin his second stint with the Mariners.
It takes an athlete with the superstar status of Usain Bolt to attract that sort of attention.
‘‘There’s been big interest all over the world. But he’s come in and he really, really wants to be a footballer,’’ said McGlinchey, who still can’t believe Bolt is auditioning for a spot on his team.
‘‘It’s pretty surreal to see him in the dressing room and on the training ground every day.
‘‘To have a guy like that at the club is massive, the mindset of the man, he’s just a winner. He’s been the champion in his field for 10 years and I know it’s a different sport but it just shows what this guy is all about – that he thinks he can just come in and be a footballer.’’
McGlinchey said Mariners players participated in a sprint session at training yesterday – and no surprise, Bolt won each one by some distance.
‘‘We done a wee 5m-10m sprint test today, the first to the flag type thing, and he won it hands down. No one is getting close to him.’’
The test now is to mould the athlete into a football player.
‘‘It’s not an easy game to just come in. He’ll have to work at it but already you’re seeing little improvements. It’s a different sort of speed and football is a lot of 5-10m stuff.
‘‘It’s just when he does get the opportunity to open his legs up, he’s going to be rapid compared to anyone else in the league, and that’s the excitement and why people want to come tomorrow night.’’
Bolt will make his much anticipated first appearance for the Mariners in tonight’s preseason hit-out against a Central Coast selection, with up to 15,000 spectators expected to turn up to watch the eight-time Olympic champion in action.
McGlinchey said the buzz around the club is nothing like he has experienced before.
‘‘You just don’t normally get that,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s good for the people on the Central Coast to have a person like this just walking around the streets here. People are driving by training tooting their horns. They really can’t believe this guy is here.’’