'It was fun while it lasted' — Usain Bolt reflects on his short-lived football dream

Legendary Jamaican sprinter has opened up on his unpleasant football journey after announcing retirement in athletics in.

The often talked about his desire to make it as a pro footballer, and enjoyed training stints with clubs including Norwegian team Stromsgodset and German giants .

His most notable spell was a trial with Australian club Central Coast Mariners where he scored twice in a friendly but he was subsequently unable to agree on a contract with the club.

Bolt has recounted feeling nervous before his historic 2008 Olympics despite breaking the 100m world record months earlier.

While the undisputed track king was keen to make his mark on the football pitch, things did not go as planned for the 38-year-old who revealed his experience via : «It was a good experience. I really enjoyed just being in a team and it was different from track and field and it was fun while it lasted.»

While Bolt’s career in football was short lived, his results on track has left him the unquestionable sprint king. He lit up the Beijing 2008 Games when he set a new world record in the 100m en route to victory and then followed it up with gold in the 200m and a new Olympic record.

Nine years ago, Usain Bolt revealed the emotional toll of harsh criticism from Jamaican fans during his early career struggles.

At London 2012, Bolt became the first athlete in history to successfully defend both sprint titles. The 11-time world champion  raised the bar even higher at Rio 2016.

The Jamaican became the first athlete to win the 100m for the third-consecutive time and repeated the feat in the 200m. He bowed out of the Games as a legend, his accomplishments immortalised in the record books.