“I told him, 'you could probably get me in 20 yards'" - When Usain Bolt named Manchester United star who he felt could beat him in 20-yard sprint
Back in June 2023, Usain Bolt spoke about Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford, saying that the forward could beat him in a 20-yard sprint. It is worth noting that Bolt broke the world record, running 100 meters in just 9.58 seconds in 2009.
The super athlete is a big Red Devils fan, which has seen him regularly spend time watching matches at Old Trafford and hanging out at the training complex. During one of these instances, he raced with some players, with Rashford surprisingly beating him in the first 20 yards.
Usain Bolt revealed as much in a conversation on talkSPORT with Darren Bent and Andy Goldstein. When Bent asked him:
"I read an article where you said that Rashford could beat you over 20 yards, is that correct?"
Bolt responded, praising the Manchester United winger, before revealing that after 20 yards, he would well leave Rashford in the dust:
"Yeah! 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!"
(20 yards = 18.288 meters)
After struggling to impact games with his blistering pace last season, Marcus Rashford will be hoping to rediscover his form at Manchester United. The forward scored just seven Premier League goals in 33 games last season. He will be looking to impress fans like Usain Bolt with improved performances this season.
When Usain Bolt had a chat with Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag
In Erik ten Hag's debut season (2022-23) at the club, it was a time of renewed goalscoring form for Marcus Rashford. The winger scored 30 goals across competitions that season, as Manchester United went on to win the Carabao Cup.
Visiting Old Trafford in March 2023, Usain Bolt had a chat with Erik ten Hag and revealed he had thanked the Dutch manager for bringing silverware home. He said about their interaction with the PA news agency (via GOAL):
"It was a nice, simple but fun conversation. (But)The first thing I said to him was ‘thank you’. That’s the first thing I said and he was like ‘thanks for what?’ I was like ‘for bringing the glory days back’. It feels good to watch Manchester now. The team is together, they’re as one..."
It's worth noting that Ten Hag has won another trophy since then, lifting the FA Cup last season after beating Manchester City 2-1 at Wembley. It certainly helped the Dutch coach retain his job. Earlier, the Red Devils had ended the season in eighth place in the league and had crashed out of the UEFA Champions League at the group stage.