Superstar sprinter Usain Bolt is adamant he can become a professional footballer despite his trial with an Australian club ending, insisting Saturday: "I still have it".
The eight-time Olympic champion's "indefinite" try-out period with the A-League's Central Coast Mariners collapsed on Friday after contract talks failed.
The club reportedly offered him only a fraction of the AUD 3 million (USD 2.1 million) his managers were seeking, and the outside sponsors needed to make the deal viable could not be found.
"It's sad that it didn't work out," the Jamaican 100m and 200m world record holder told Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper at the Derby Day horse races in Melbourne, where he arrived in a suit, sunglasses and with a gold-handled cane.
"But we parted on good terms, and that's a good thing.
"I had a great experience with them. The guys were great -- we just couldn't work out things with the contract, but hopefully I get another chance with another team."
"I figure that I was improving a lot, so as you can see from the first game to the last game, I really improved and did better. I've learned that it's a little bit harder, but it's all about dedication and work with the team."