Sprint legend Usain Bolt has taken his long-running love affair with football to an unexpected level, officially signing on with Wythenshawe FC Veterans, a Sunday League outfit based in Greater Manchester that plays in the Cheshire Veterans League.

The eight-time Olympic champion joins a squad already packed with recognizable names from the English top flight, coached by ex-Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland.

Between them, the current and former players registered with the club have racked up more than 1,800 appearances in England’s Premier League over their careers.

Among the notable names who’ve turned out for Wythenshawe are Joleon Lescott and Nedum Onuoha, both former Manchester City defenders, along with Antonio Valencia, who won league titles during his time at Manchester United.

Also part of the setup are Marc Albrighton, who lifted the Premier League with Leicester City, plus veteran forwards Emile Heskey and Papiss Cissé, both familiar to English football fans from their days at the sport’s highest level.

Additional former professionals linked to the club this season include Maynor Figueroa, Jefferson Montero, Kieran Westwood, Paul McShane, Adrian Mariappa, Oumar Niasse, and Martyn Waghorn, further adding to the veteran star power on display.

Bolt, a lifelong supporter of Manchester United, has long harbored ambitions of playing football professionally since hanging up his spikes, even spending time training with Australian A-League club Central Coast Mariners back in 2018.

Though his name now appears on the FA’s official registration database, it remains unclear exactly when he’ll make his first appearance for the veterans’ side.