Socceroos legend backs Bolt's A-League chances

Socceroos goalkeeping icon Mark Schwarzer has weighed in on Usain Bolt’s chances of making it in the A-League, and it’s promising.

The footballing great turned commentator says the lack of experience Bolt has will actually work in his favour, opening the door to earning himself a potential contract.

“I think he’s got a good chance, purely because he’s been there for so long,” Schwarzer told ESPN.

“They think he’s got something and that’s why they’ve also got him there.”

Schwarzer donned the Socceroos jersey for 100 times during his lengthy career, and says while Bolt has plenty to work on, there’s definitely something there.

“The big question is at his age and his stage of life, whether he’s going to improve enough to warrant a contract in the A-League,” Schwarzer said.

Schwarzer’s assessment comes just days after rival A-League coach Markus Babbel absolutely slammed Bolt’s chances of making it in Australia – saying “for all love, that’s not enough in 100 years”.

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Off the back of a two-goal haul in his first ever start for the Central Coast Mariners, rumours ran wild as confirmation surfaced of an official contract offer from Malta club Valletta FC.

So while Bolt is adamant he’s willing to stick it out with the Mariners on a continued trial, Schwarzer says his biggest strength is his pace and his unpolished approach to football.

“Sometimes that can be even harder to defend against, to come up against, as there’s that unpredictability as they are so raw,” Schwarzer said.

“They won’t do things a normal footballer would have done.

“This is potentially quite exciting. For someone who has only seen snippets, if he can do alright, and if they do sign him and he gets those opportunities and he has that rawness and promise and he’s a quick learner then it could be very exciting.

“The other problem is his age (32).

“He has to be quick learner otherwise when you get older, your pace gets slower as well so he has to harness it as quickly as possible to utilise it.”

A-League coach delivers brutal Bolt slap down

Usain Bolt has been put in his place after a rival coach delivered a scathing assessment of the sprint king’s A-League prospects.

Forthright Western Sydney Wanderers coach Markus Babbel has dismissed Usain Bolt’s chances of winning an A-League contract, declaring the experiment with the Central Coast Mariners isn’t working.

The eight-time Olympic champion Bolt has been trialling at the Mariners for most of the past two months in a bid to earn a deal with the Central Coast side.

He scored two goals in a pre-season game last week and knocked back an offer to play in Malta.

Bolt wasn’t included in the Mariners squad for their opening A-League game in Brisbane on Sunday.

Mariners coach Mike Mulvey has frequently said the club may not make a final decision on Bolt till January.

Babbel, who was capped 51 times for Germany, will make his debut as an A-League coach in Perth on Sunday.

Before Wanderers training on Friday, Babbel reiterated his misgivings about Bolt.

He described Bolt as a legend and fantastic person, but said it was difficult to change sports because of the different movements involved in athletics and football.

“If it’s possible many, many other people would do it, for me it’s not working,” Babbel said.

“For the A-League it was a fantastic period, it was top, but I can’t believe that he will play in the A-League.”

Speaking to Swiss newspaper Blick, Babbel made it clear he didn’t think Bolt was good enough to play in Australia’s domestic competition.

“The A-League receives much attention from him, but honestly, I cannot take that seriously,” Babbel told Blick.

“I saw him play. For all that love, that’s not enough in 100 years.”

with AAP.