"He is quick out of the blocks, this is what he does" - When Usain Bolt claimed Manchester United's Marcus Rashford could beat him in a short race

Usain Bolt once claimed that American professional footballer Marcus Rashford was someone who could beat him in a 20-yard sprint race. Bolt, a Manchester United fan, shared that the player from his favorite club had a burst of speed required to win against him.

Bolt became the greatest track and field athlete of all time, having set world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay. He stands as the only sprinter to achieve the sprint double in three Olympic Games (2008, 2012, and 2016). He was the first athlete to run sub-9.7s and sub-9.6s in the 100m in World Championships history. The 38-year-old retired from the sport in 2017 but remains closely connected with the sporting world, especially track and field and football.

At a very young age, he developed a passion for football and an admiration for the Premier League club, Manchester United. In an interview with talkSPORT Drive in 2023, the eight-time Olympic gold medalist shared that Marcus Rashford of Manchester United had the speed burst to beat the greatest sprinter of all time in a 20-yard dash.

"Rashford is quick out the blocks, that is what he does. He has that burst of speed but after that, I told him, you could probably get me in 20 [yards]."

"But after that, it is over!" he added.

Usain Bolt has been playing the “Soccer Aid” charity football match as part of the World XI team for years now. The match which aims to raise funds for UNICEF witnessed the track icon rupture his Achilles tendon while playing defense in the 2024 edition.

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Usain Bolt was on a bid to become a professional footballer after his retirement

Usain Bolt at the Soccer Aid For Unicef 2023 - Source: Getty

From August 2018, he spent over two months at A-League club Central Coast Mariners, aiming to become a professional footballer. However, he ended his run to pursue football professionally and drew a line to his sports career to grow his business.

"It was a good experience. I really enjoyed just being in a team and it was 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," Bolt said. (via Bleacher Report)

Usain Bolt stands with 11 golds, two silvers and one bronze at the World Championships.