This was one of the most unexpected social media posts of the Premier League season.
It came from Burnley and showed a visitor to the club's training ground smiling in front of the slogan 'It's a way of life'.
But this was no ordinary guest. It was Usain Bolt, eight-time Olympic gold medalist, world record holder in the men's 100m and 200m, and one of the most famous athletes on the planet.
The Jamaican has been in the world of football since retiring from athletics in 2017, but his visit to the struggling Premier League side was not to discuss becoming their new No. 9. There wasn't.
Instead, Bolton were in attendance for Burnley's 4-3 win over Stockport County in the under-21s, who featured former footballer Che Gardner, who played more than 400 games for Bolton and spent 11 years in the Premier League. . He is the son of my best friend Ricardo, a sprinter. alliance.
Bolt and Gardner met during Gardner's stint with Jamaica. He played a total of 111 games for his country and is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history. After leaving Bolton in 2012, he did not appear in a senior match until announcing his retirement in May 2014.
Gardner and Bolt's friendship has deepened over the years, including their shared love of music, and they have collaborated on various projects.
“We met many years ago as two sportsmen from Jamaica. We got to know each other as we both represented our country and remain good friends to this day.” says Gardner. The Athletic. “As time went on, he became closer to the family. In Jamaica, the way we do it, Che would think of him as an uncle. He's not a real uncle, but just to show respect.” That's what I mean.
Mr Gardner's son Choi is a first-team scholarship student at Stockport County and made a brief cameo late in Wednesday's game.
Whenever Bolt has business in Europe, he will visit the Gardner family and, if possible, try to watch Che play. In March 2023, Bolt played in an Under-15 match between Blackburn Rovers and Burnley, where Che was on trial.
After the match, he posed for a photo with Rovers players, which was posted on the club's official social media channels, at The Ribble Valley, which includes former Blackburn midfielder David Dunn as one of its owners. We stayed at the Avenue Hotel.
“He was a huge influence and inspiration to Che,” Gardner added. “He always supports him. He is a mentor when needed and gives advice whenever possible. Che follows a lot of what he told him and respects him. It’s great to be around people who have achieved that at an elite level.”
Bolt is a huge Manchester United fan, but after his track and field career came to an end at the age of 30, he turned his attention to professional football.
In 2018, he had trials with Germany's Borussia Dortmund and Australia's A-League side Central Coast Mariners. He scored two goals in a friendly against the Mariners, but did not sign despite reports of a contract offer. He was also turned down for a two-year contract with then-Maltese champions Valletta.
After admitting he had given up on hopes of a professional career in early 2019, Bolt became one of the stars of the annual Soccer Aid charity match.
Stockport celebrated promotion to League One after being crowned League Two champions earlier this month. The club is on an upward trajectory and Gardner has witnessed this first-hand through his son and praised the work being done at all levels of the club.
“Che is enjoying soccer, growing up and becoming a good person,” Gardner said. “He's on the right path. Stockport have done a great job in terms of player development and you can see where Che went from here to now.
“They work hard to get the best from all parties, he enjoys learning and the results are showing over time.”
Not wanting to miss out on the chance to sign Bolt, Burnley's minority owner and NFL legend JJ Watt shared an image of Burnley's Bolt with his own message.
“I'm honored to have a brother,” he wrote. “I think it makes sense that he's the second-fastest man to ever step foot on Burnley's training ground. There's still time to reschedule TST. I'm just saying…”
Watt was referring to Burnley's participation in The Soccer Tournament (TST), which will be held in America this summer. Watt captains Burnley's men's team, while his wife, former USWNT forward and fellow minority owner Kealia, captains the women's team.
It remains to be seen whether Boruto will accept the invitation. Meanwhile, Burnley are simply happy with his star power.
(Top photo: Burnley FC)