Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man may have retired from sprints, he is turning his passion elsewhere: professional soccer.
The eight-time Olympic gold medalist, says he has a trial set with Borussia Dortmund in March.
But the possibility of playing for the German club, despite it being one of the most popular is Europe, is not what’s drawing the Jamaican sprinter to the sport.
“One of my biggest dreams is to sign for Manchester United,” Bolt said in an interview with The Express.
“If Dortmund say I’m good enough, I’ll crack on and train hard. I’ve spoken to (Man United coaching legend) Alex Ferguson and I told him he needs to put in a good word. He told me if I get fit and ready, he will see what he can do.”
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Dortmund and Bolt share a sponsor in Puma, which makes the tryout an easy match.
Bolt, 31, a longtime Man United fan, retired from the track after damaging his hamstring at the World Championships in London in August.
However, he told The Express that the injury is “now fine and I’m back to fully fit.”
Still, Bolt admitted that the swagger he showed throughout his four Olympic Games and record-breaking runs has yet to transfer on the soccer field.
“It makes me nervous,” Bolt said of the upcoming trial. “I don’t get nervous but this is different, this is football now. It’ll take time to adjust but once I play a few times I’ll get used to it. It was the same when I started track and field. I was nervous for a while until I started getting used to the crowd, people and everyone around and it falls into place.”
Bolt has for years shared his goal of crossing over into soccer, but no matter how far he takes it, he’ll always be remembered first and foremost as the greatest sprinter of all time.
*Originally reported by New York Daily News
