Before becoming the fastest man alive, Usain Bolt had dreams beyond the track. Growing up in Jamaica, Bolt enjoyed playing both football and cricket, and even in 2012, the Olympic champion spoke openly about his desire to try football after his athletics career.

“I always wanted to try to play soccer. Maybe at the end of my career. It would be something that I would love to try,” Bolt said.

Now, nearly a decade after retiring from athletics, the 40-year-old is finally getting the chance to live out that old dream.

Bolt appears set to turn out for a Sunday league team in Manchester after being registered with Wythenshawe FC Veterans. The over-35s side competes in the Premier Division of the Cheshire Veterans Football League. The eight-time Olympic champion’s name recently appeared on the Football Association’s Full-Time registration system. There is still some uncertainty over exactly when the legendary sprinter will actually make his official debut for the club.

His registration has been listed by the FA, yet Wythenshawe has not publicly confirmed his debut or announced him as part of a matchday squad. If he does take to the pitch, Bolt will be joining one of the most star-studded veterans’ teams in English grassroots football. The Manchester-based squad is filled with players who spent years competing at the highest level of the professional game.

The team is managed by former Manchester City and Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Ireland. The impressive roster has included former Premier League stars such as Danny Drinkwater, Antonio Valencia, Joleon Lescott, Emile Heskey, Marc Albrighton, Nedum Onuoha, and Papiss Cissé. The Jamaican could now find himself sharing a dressing room with players who once played in front of tens of thousands of supporters in massive stadiums. Bolt’s connection to the Manchester football scene goes back much further than this recent registration.

 Bolt has been a Manchester United supporter since his youth, having passionately followed the Premier League while growing up in Jamaica. He has previously revealed that Ruud van Nistelrooy was one of the players who helped cement his status as a United fan. In a 2016 interview, Bolt said playing professionally for Manchester United would be “a dream come true” as he considered his options after athletics. That exact dream never became a reality, though his relationship with the sport previously led to a serious professional pursuit.

Usain Bolt’s football dream faded, but his sporting ambitions remained

After retiring from athletics in 2017, Usain Bolt began exploring the possibility of becoming a professional footballer. In 2018, he trained with several clubs, including Borussia Dortmund, Mamelodi Sundowns and Strømsgodset, as he attempted to prove that he could make the transition from sprinting to football.

His biggest opportunity came with Australian A-League side Central Coast Mariners. Bolt joined the Mariners for a trial and training period in August 2018. The club gave him the opportunity to train alongside professional players and assess whether he could make the jump into the professional game.

Then came the moment that briefly made his football dream look possible. In October 2018, Bolt started for the Mariners in a preseason friendly against Macarthur South West United. He scored twice. His first goal came after he found space inside the penalty area and finished past the goalkeeper. However, scoring those two goals did not lead to a long professional career.

Bolt’s time with Central Coast Mariners ended in November 2018 after around eight weeks. By January 2019, Bolt had confirmed that he was no longer pursuing a professional football career. But while his attempt to become a footballer came to an end, Bolt’s competitive spirit never completely disappeared. Could the eight-time Olympic champion ever return to the sport that made him famous?

For now, there is no indication that Bolt is planning a serious comeback to track and field. However, he has occasionally teased the idea of racing again simply for fun. In March 2025, Bolt suggested he would be open to stepping back onto the track for a special race against some of his former rivals, naming Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell and Yohan Blake among the athletes he would like to face. Beyond the track, Bolt has also shown serious interest in making a completely different kind of Olympic return.

In January 2026, he revealed that he would be willing to represent Jamaica at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as a cricketer, should the national team extend an invitation. Rather than waiting for that call to the cricket pitch, he is currently making his latest sporting comeback through grassroots football. He will look to showcase his world-class speed on the grass when Wythenshawe FC Veterans continue their 2026-27 Cheshire Veterans Football League campaign this fall.