Usain Bolt (l.) may have been released by Central Coast Mariners, but Leon Bailey (r.) insists the Olympic sprint champion is a good football player. - © © gettyimages
Usain Bolt (l.) may have been released by Central Coast Mariners, but Leon Bailey (r.) insists the Olympic sprint champion is a good football player. - © © gettyimages

“Usain Bolt is a good player!” – Leon Bailey

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Nine-time Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter Usain Bolt may have been allowed to leave Australia’s Central Coast Mariners recently, but according to Bayer Leverkusen winger and Jamaican compatriot Leon Bailey, the world’s fastest man remains pretty handy at its most popular sport.

Bailey and Bolt have been friends for a number of years, but while the former has lit up the Bundesliga since signing from Genk in 2017, the latter has struggled to make inroads in the game, despite two goals across two friendly games with the A-League outfit in recent weeks.

Bolt – who also had a trial at Borussia Dortmund in March – had previously only played football at amateur level, but Bailey believes his 32-year-old compatriot would be wrong to give up yet.

Watch: Owo meets Usain Bolt!

“Usain is a very, very good friend,” Bailey said in an exclusive interview with FourFourTwo. “We play football together, we go to the beach together, and we hang out and go to parties together. He’s a good person – I’ve known him for a couple of years.

“The first time I met him was on the football field, actually. He’s a good player, honestly! He’s tall, he’s big, so he’s kind of slow on the ball, but he can do his thing.”

Bolt’s next soccer-playing step remains to be seen; Bailey’s is well known: the wing wizard will be in action for Die Werkself against RB Leipzig on Sunday – a Bundesliga battle not to be missed!

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