Usain Bolt has said on more than one occasion that after he retires from track, he has interest in becoming a pro footballer. Could he survive as a Manchester United mid/forward? Will his speed make up for his potential lack of ball control skills? How is is footwork? How is his shot? Discuss
Hell no, he's not going to just go out and play for one of the best teams in the world. He could maybe be decent in a lower division and hope to work his way up in divisions in a few years, MAYBE, but to think he really has a good chance of playing in the Premier League any time soon is laughable
I guess you haven't been watching the World Cup. Speed helps but you need to be able to control, pass, shoot, cross, tackle, head the ball, dribble, you have to know where the other players are, you have to understand tactics, you need to know when to cover for your defenders, you need to push, kick and foul without getting booked, know what you can get away with when the ref isn't looking, you need instinct and that's only part of it.
The first time he gets tackled he'd be hurt.
interesting question wrote:
Usain Bolt has said on more than one occasion that after he retires from track, he has interest in becoming a pro footballer. Could he survive as a Manchester United mid/forward? Will his speed make up for his potential lack of ball control skills? How is is footwork? How is his shot? Discuss
He went to a training session with Man U a couple of years ago for a meet and greet and trained with the first team. Gary Neville was asked if Bolt was good and he said No! He was awful but he said Usain thinks he is a top notch player who could play for United.
darren campbell(10.04 & 20.13) couldn't make it in the minor leagues in England when he was 21 and he is for sure 100x as a footballer than Bolt.
and MJ is an awesome baseball player.
joel przybilla wrote:
darren campbell(10.04 & 20.13) couldn't make it in the minor leagues in England when he was 21 and he is for sure 100x as a footballer than Bolt.
The only sprinter i can think of who had a chance of playing high level soccer is Adam Gemili. He was on was with Chelsea as a youth but couldn't cut it there. He was playing for lower league Dagenham & Redbridge but he could have made it but quit soccer for sprinting in 2011. He had never done any sprint training before that.
Look at Lionel Messi's legs. Now look at Bolt's. You tell me which has a huge advantage at controlling the ball?
Bolt will never be a great footballer - it takes years and years of practice to get the skills.
That's not to say a team in some graveyard of has-been footballers like the US or Japan wouldn't take him - but it would mostly be to sell tickets, shirts and advertising on the strength of him name, not because they'd expect him to help win games.
Bolt should forget the idea of soccer and look at football in America. By the time he retires hell still have speed to burn. Throw that in the mix, and he would make an awsome player. Not the best but good. I just see him as too tall to be maneuvering and passing.
Bolt can only run straight. footballer are very maneuverable.
so hell no, what are you thinking?
Ever heard of peter crouch?
Soccer players are closer to 800/1500m runners than they are to sprinters. Flat out speed is important, but soccer players need to be able to do 20-30 all out 30-40m sprints in a game while running another 4-5 miles just to get into position. That would be a huge change in physical demands for Bolt. Not saying that he couldn't do it. It would just be a very big transition.
Precious Roy wrote:
Soccer players are closer to 800/1500m runners than they are to sprinters. Flat out speed is important, but soccer players need to be able to do 20-30 all out 30-40m sprints in a game while running another 4-5 miles just to get into position. That would be a huge change in physical demands for Bolt. Not saying that he couldn't do it. It would just be a very big transition.
I would say more of 400/800 runners
He wouldn't even make a local Jamaican or other island team.. and if you've watched the circus act at any of those games you'd realize how low the standard is. I've seen plenty of highlights - players missing the ball completely when shooting, stepping on the ball and falling, defense scoring in own goal, goalies tripping/slamming against goal post..
No he couldn't.
You would have a better chance of taking an overweight person who played casual soccer all their life and had brillant ball control, vision, shooting etc. but had never done any sort of fitness, speed or strength training and making them into a professional soccer player than Bolt.
Unless Bolt spends an hour after every session practising his skills, and always has done, his chances of making it are one in one hundred million.
No, but he could make it in American Football as several other athletes have because it requires little skill
John Regis had two cousins who had successful footballing careers.
