Usain Bolt to MLS Teams: 'Bring the Big Contracts!'
April 16, 2018
Legendary sprinter Usain Bolt has told Major League Soccer sides he would be interested in a switch if the money is right.
Following his retirement from athletics, the eight-time Olympic champion has switched to football and is trying to earn a contract with a professional club. He recently trained with Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund.
When TMZ asked if he would move to the United States to get his professional career underway, Bolt's response was "bring the big contracts!"
Also in the clip, Bolt was asked if he would be interested in a move to the Los Angeles Galaxy, to which he responded "of course." When quizzed on who he would like to emulate, the Jamaican said he is a Manchester United fan and cited Paul Pogba as someone he'd like to follow.
Bolt walked away from athletics after last year's World Championships in London with a reputation as one of the greatest competitors the sport has ever seen.
Not only is he an eight-time gold medalist at the Olympics, but he's also an 11-time world champion and the world record holder in the 100- and 200-metre distances.
Bolt made it known a return to athletics isn't on the cards for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, and it appears he's taking his football career seriously. At the recent Commonwealth Games, the 31-year-old told the Herald Sun he would be moving back to Dortmund for a stint.
"It's a big deal for me," he said. "Everyone thinks I'm kidding around, but I'm serious. I'm going back to Dortmund for three more weeks to assess myself and see what level I am at."
On Twitter, the man himself posted a clip of a goal he scored during training with the Bundesliga side:
As we can see courtesy of ESPN FC, Dortmund striker Michy Batshuayi joked about Bolt potentially replacing him in the XI following his cameo:
Major League Soccer teams have become renowned for making brash signings in recent years, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Galaxy) the latest superstar at the end of his career to make the switch to the United States.
However, bringing in a football novice would be another matter entirely, and any club making the move would no doubt endure criticism about any signing being a publicity stunt. But Bolt appears keen to make it clear his venture into the sport will be serious.