Usain Bolt has ended his dream of becoming a professional footballer after admitting “it was fun while it lasted”.
The eight-time Olympic champion has trained with a number of clubs, including Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund, but failed to land himself a professional contract.
His most promising stint came with Australian outfit Central-Coast Mariners, where at one point he scored a brace in a friendly, but the Jamaican did not pass his probation with the -A league outfit.
His double came against Macarthur South West United, with on-loan strike partner Ross McCormack saying: “If he pulls it all together, he can be some threat”.
But former Republic of Ireland international Andy Keogh – who plays for Perth Glory – was less taken by Bolt, saying the sprint star had a first touch “like a trampoline”.
The 32-year-old has now admitted his life in sport has come to an end and is hoping to delve further into the business world.
Speaking about his decision to focus his professional endeavours elsewhere, Bolt said: “I don’t want to say it wasn’t dealt with properly, but I think we went about it, not the way we should and you learn your lesson, you live and you learn.
“It was a good experience. I really enjoyed just being in a team and it was different from track and field. It was fun while it lasted.
“I’m just doing many different things – the sports life is over, so I’m now moving into different businesses. I have a lot of things in the pipeline, so as I say, I’m just dabbling in everything and trying to be a businessman now.”
While his dream of footballing stardom has come to an end, Bolt is hoping to emulate his success in athletics as a restaurateur.
He has recently opened a chain of Caribbean street food restaurants called Tracks and Records.