Usain Bolt signs for Wythenshawe Vets veteran side
The 40-year-old sprint legend has been registered by the English FA as a player for the ninth-tier, over-35 veterans team in south Manchester.
Usain Bolt, the fastest man in history, has signed for the amateur English side Wythenshawe Vets, the club and the English Football Association list him as a registered player on their official records.
The 40-year-old Jamaican’s arrival drew little attention next to high-profile Premier League moves, but it will see him turn out for a veterans team that competes in the ninth tier of English football.
Veterans squad with former professionals
Wythenshawe Vets are a south Manchester veterans side for players over 35, known for assembling former professional footballers. Bolt will not be the only widely recognised name in the dressing room.
Registered with the club this season are former England and Liverpool striker Emil Heskey, ex-Everton forward Umar Niasse, former Manchester United captain Antonio Valencia and former Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse. Also listed are former Manchester City players Stephen Ireland and Nedum Onuoha, plus Premier League winners Joleon Lescott and Danny Drinkwater.
Bolt has long been a keen football fan and a supporter of Manchester United, and this is not his first footballing venture. In 2018 he spent two months on trial with Australian club Central Coast Mariners, scoring two goals in a friendly, but the trial ended after the club stated it could not offer him a professional contract.
He later turned down a reported offer from Maltese side Valletta, allegedly over financial terms, and has trained at times with Norwegian club Strømsgodset and German side Borussia Dortmund.
The former world record-holder over 100 metres (9.58 seconds) and 200 metres (19.19 seconds) returns to the pitch at amateur, veterans level, joining a side that mixes former pros and local players for competitive veteran fixtures in the Manchester area.
Photo: Usein Bolt\/Instagram
