By Levi J Parsons
SYDNEY, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- The world's fastest man didn't even slow down for his 32nd birthday on Tuesday, jumping right into the first day of training with Australia football club, the Central Coast Mariners.
Lured down under for an unlimited training trial, Usain Bolt will now vie for a place with the A-League side before the season kicks off in October.
Appearing cool, calm and relaxed during his first media conference, the Jamaican sprinter explained to Xinhua that his dreams of playing professional football stem from his passion for relay running.
"If you follow my career, I have always said that one of my all time best moments was running the 4x1 [hundred meter relay]," he said.
"It's an individual sport with track and field but I enjoy running with my teammates, so for me to come into a team now it's just wonderful."
"I'm just looking forward to it, I know it is going to be fun and I'm going to enjoy the journey."
But while the three-time Olympian is more than confident in his abilities as an athlete, Bolt said his immediate focus is to get as fit as possible and as many touches on the ball as he can before the season begins.
"As you've seen throughout the years, I am very cool under pressure," Bolt said.
"My ability to understand very quickly and to learn the game is something I am very good at."
"I think I see the game well, I have to work on the basic skills but I think I am very good at controlling [the ball]."
With a range of other options including offers from clubs in France and Spain, head coach Mike Mulvey feels Bolt's move to the Central Coast Mariners will be a major windfall for the club, even if he fails to make the side.
"This guy is a winner!" he said.
"He won eight gold medals in the Olympics, and you don't do that just by having great ability, you do it by have great mental capacity."
"If he can pass on a little bit of that to my players... this could be great for any of our young lads."
But asked whether he was expecting any preferential treatment from coach Mulvey, Bolt was adamant he was not looking for an easy ride.
"It has been a warm welcome and everybody has given me a lot of love," he said.
"But the coach has explained to me that there won't be any special treatment."
"I want to be treated like one of the boys, I don't want to be treated like the world's fasted man, I want to be treated like a footballer." Enditem
