Usain Bolt continues his search for his first professional football club after turning down an offer from Maltese champions Valleta FC.
Valleta were said to be ready to offer Bolt a two year contract after he scored a brace on his first start for Central Coast Mariners who he has been on trial with for a number of months now. The 8 time Olympic sprinting champion spent a small amount of time training with German giants Borussia Dortmund.
He is yet to have been offered a contract at the Australian club who are supposedly waiting on the Australian Football Federation on whether they will contribute to the potential £1.6m offer to the thirty-two year old. Mariners coach Mike Mulvey said he was “happy for him last week for the two goals he scored” but had nothing to add to the contract talk. Bolts agent Ricky Simms told ESPN that they “regularly receive similar approaches” suggesting Bolt has the type of club he wants to sign for in mind.
The Mariners are to begin their A-League campaign on Sunday and negotiations are understood to continue to take place over a possible offer for Bolts services who Mulvey has described as being “great amongst the guys” as well as “adds something to the dressing room”. It has been over 7 months since Bolts ‘trial’ with Borussia Dortmund where Peter Stoger, head coach, at the time described him as a ‘talented’ footballer but had some way to go before playing at a significant level. Whether the Mariners are able or willing to offer him a contract remains to be seen.