Reasons behind Usain Bolt's decision to retire from football

Usain Bolt signals professional football dream is over: 'It was fun while it lasted'

Jamaica's sprint great Usain Bolt has retired from football after his negotiations for wages and a contract with Australian side Central Coast Mariners late last year did not materialise.

Bolt, who swapped athletics for football to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer, retired from athletics in 2017 with eight Olympic gold medals.

The Olympic gold medals has seen him remain the world record holder in the 100m (9.58) and 200m (19.19) events.

According to Eurosport, the 32 year-old Jamaican sprinter has not found the transition to the football pitch easy signalling that his hopes of a professional football career are over.

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“I don’t want to say it wasn’t dealt with properly, but I think we went about it, not the way we should and you learn your lesson, you live and you learn," he said.

"It was a good experience. I really enjoyed just being in a team and it was must different from track and field and it was fun while it lasted.”

"I'm just doing many different things ... the sports life is over, so I'm now moving into different businesses, I have a lot of things in the pipeline, so as I say, I'm just dabbling in everything and trying to be a business man now."

The eight-time Olympic champion’s last competitive meet was the 2017 world championships in London, where Jamaica managed just one gold and three bronze medals, including Bolt’s third place in the 100 meters.