A look at Usain Bolt's football career that ended at Old Trafford
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 25.09.25. | 15:01
Bolt wasted little time chasing that dream. Shortly after retiring from track and field, he joined Norwegian side Strømsgodset, where he trained as a forward and even featured in a friendly against Norway’s U19s
Legendary sprinter Usain Bolt hung up his spikes in 2017, leaving athletics as the fastest man in history, an eight-time Olympic champion, and a global icon.
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But months before his farewell lap, the Jamaican superstar revealed that he wanted to become a professional footballer, ideally for his beloved Manchester United. That ambition surprised many.
Bolt wasted little time chasing that dream. Shortly after retiring from track and field, he joined Norwegian side Strømsgodset, where he trained as a forward and even featured in a friendly against Norway’s U19s.
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From there, he took his pursuit to Australia, signing with Central Coast Mariners in 2018.
He made his debut in a pre-season friendly against a Central Coast Select team, and weeks later, he announced himself with two goals in a match against another amateur side.
His performances drew headlines worldwide, and Maltese champions Valletta even offered him a two-year contract.
But Bolt turned it down, choosing instead to continue with the Mariners, whose deal was partly supported by the Australian FA.
Despite the hype, his time Down Under proved short-lived.
After just eight weeks, Bolt parted ways with the club, admitting the football experiment had not gone as planned. By early 2019, he announced his official retirement from professional football ambitions.
“It was a good experience. I really enjoyed just being in a team. It was much different from track and field, and it was fun while it lasted. But the sports life is over, so I’m now moving into different businesses,” Bolt told Reuters.
Even if a professional football career never materialised, Bolt still lived out a dream at Old Trafford.
He captained the World XI team during Soccer Aid, gracing Manchester United’s iconic ground in front of thousands of fans.
The moment was bittersweet. In the 2023 edition of the charity match, Bolt suffered a ruptured Achilles and had to be stretchered off.
Eight years after stepping off the track, Bolt’s life is far removed from the roar of stadiums. Now a stay-at-home dad, he says his days revolve around family, light workouts, and a newfound love for Lego.
“Normally, I wake up just in time to see the kids off to school. If I have nothing to do, I just chill out. I might work out sometimes if I’m in a good mood. I just watched some series until the kids come home… I spend time with them, hang out, until they start annoying me.
Then I leave. Afterwards, I just stay at home and watch movies, or I’m into Lego now,” he told The Telegraph.
Bolt first announced himself to the world with double sprint gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, breaking the then-100m world record with a 9.69-second run, famously easing up before the finish line.
He then rewrote history in Berlin a year later, slicing 0.11 seconds off his mark to set the current world record of 9.58 seconds.
Since then, no sprinter has dipped below 9.70 seconds.
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