Usain Bolt gets cut-price deal from Australian club

Usain Bolt

Australia's Central Coast Mariners have offered sprint superstar Usain Bolt a contract, reports said Monday, but the club's coach said he knows nothing about it.

The eight-time Olympic champion has been on trial with the A-League side since August to fulfil his dream of becoming a professional footballer. He scored two goals in a pre-season friendly last week and on Thursday turned down a two-year, trial-free deal from cashed-up Maltese champions Valletta.

"I can confirm Usain has been offered a contract by Central Coast Mariners," Bolt's agent Ricky Simms told the BBC. The club had no immediate comment yesterday but Sydney's Daily Telegraph said he had been offered only a fraction of the Aus$3 million (US$2.1 million) that his management had discussed months ago when the prospect of a trial was first mooted. The newspaper said the potential deal was based on Football Federation Australia contributing Aus$750,000 and other sponsors also topping it up.

Mariners owner Mike Charlesworth had initially pledged Aus$1.5 million, but the deal now offered to the sprinter was much less than this, it added. Club coach Mike Mulvey said he had heard nothing of an offer.

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