Usain Bolt agrees to tryout with an Australian soccer club, but might not actually play

His Aussie future depends on money.

The world’s fastest man may soon be Australia’s fastest soccer player. Usain Bolt agreed to a trial with Australia’s Central Coast Mariners Monday, but it’s unclear whether or not he’ll ever take the field for the A-League club.

‘‘The deal between the Mariners and Usain Bolt in principle has been agreed, subject to a couple of benchmarks,’’ agent Tony Rallis told Big Sports Breakfast on Tuesday morning. ‘‘Mainly, a trial, and of course marquee funds support from the FFA.”

That support would come in the form of nearly $1 million Australian from Football Federation Australia (FFA), who would have to essentially subsidize the acquisition to bring Bolt down under. Any deal would begin with a six-week trial to test the Jamaican’s pitch-readiness. The $900,000+ plus in FFA funds wouldn’t be for that tryout, but would be part of a seven-figure contract should Bolt ace his audition and land a spot on the team’s roster.

“If all goes well, who knows?” Mariners chief executive Shaun Mielekamp told Seven Network. “He may be lighting up the A-League this season. The most important thing is we wait to find out and see how good a footballer he is first, Time will tell at what level he is at and if it fits the A-League.”

Jumping to Australia wouldn’t be the high profile Borussia Dortmund signing Bolt had teased earlier in the year, but it could be the catalyst for a full-time career change. The 31-year-old retired from competitive track last August, but has been searching for his second act ever since. He spent time in May training with Norway top-league club Stromsgodset and even made an appearance for them in an exhibition against the nation’s under-19 team.

Bolt’s arrival would be a major boon for the Mariners — at least as an attraction. The team finished 10th in the 10-team A-League in 2017-18, winning just four of its 27 games in the process. That leaves some low expectations for the former sprinter — and the assurance he couldn’t really make things worse.

Is the push to sign Bolt a stunt from Central Coast? It certainly could be. But the 2013 A-League champions face a massive gap between themselves and Australia’s top clubs. If the FFA helps subsidize the acquisition, it could be a low-risk, high-reward move that helps raise the Mariners’ profile at little cost to the team itself.