Bolt takes first tentative steps on Man Utd dream

Usain Bolt has taken the first tentative steps towards his Manchester United dream after the sprint king joined Australian side Central Coast Mariners for his first training session yesterday.

Wearing gloves and tracksuit bottoms despite a mild winter’s day, the Jamaican did some light stretching, jogging and ball work with the rest of the squad in his maiden drill since being given the chance to win a playing contract by the A-League team. He showed glimpses of good control, but also some heavy touches, favouring his left foot. “It’s just like track and field -- the first day of training is always the roughest one. You can tell how much work you need to put in. But it felt OK, you know,” said Bolt after the 45-minute workout.

The superstar athlete, who also celebrated his 32nd birthday yesterday, has been given an opportunity by the Mariners despite already trying out with teams in Germany, Norway and South Africa to no avail since retiring from athletics last year.