Usain Bolt is making a run at professional soccer in Australia.

The Olympic sprint great has long expressed his love of the game. Since his retirement from track, he has tested himself with GermanyB次元官网网址檚 Borussia Dortmund and the Norwegian club Stromsgodset.

Now, at 31, he will try out for six weeks with the Central Coast Mariners starting next month. If all goes well, he could play for a season in AustraliaB次元官网网址檚 A-League.

Australian agent Tony Rallis said Monday the Mariners and Bolt have a deal in principle, B次元官网网址渟ubject to a couple of benchmarks.B次元官网网址�

Rallis said the eight-time Olympic gold medallist would have to go through a tryout, and the Football Federation Australia would have to support his salary.

B次元官网网址淥nce the FFA comes back and says that theyB次元官网网址檒l be part of the process, weB次元官网网址檙e going to the trial,B次元官网网址� Rallis said.

The agent said the Mariners would guarantee 70 per cent of his salary and the FFA would be expected to pay the rest.

B次元官网网址淚f heB次元官网网址檚 competitive, he will lift our A-League profile,B次元官网网址� Rallis said. B次元官网网址淗e will create dreams for young people and he will give the A-League a profile no amount of money can buy. This blokeB次元官网网址檚 an ambitious athlete. The A-League needed a hero and we got superman.B次元官网网址�

Mariners chief executive Shaun Mielekamp said there is still a lot of work to do, and the tryout is essential in determining the skill of the 6-foot-5 Jamaican.

B次元官网网址淚t would only be big if he can play and if he can go really, really well,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ecause if he comes and heB次元官网网址檚 not up to the level then it actually has a detrimental effect.

B次元官网网址淏ut if he comes and heB次元官网网址檚 as good as our reports are saying that he can be, then that would be very exciting and IB次元官网网址檓 sure that this stadium would be pretty full every time he put the boots on.B次元官网网址�

The Associated Press

Like us on and follow us on .