Usain Bolt named the one footballer he dreamed of mentoring to be the fastest alive but he never got the chance

Usain Bolt didn't hesitate when picking the one footballer that he could have helped turn into the fastest player of all time.

With eight Olympic gold medals and world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m events, it's safe to say that Bolt knows what he's talking about when it comes to sprinting.

Despite retiring in 2017, the Jamaican remains involved in the sport and regularly speaks out about some of the biggest names current Olympic champion Noah Lyles and teenage prospect Gout Gout.

Bolt has also spoken out about the possibility of returning to the track as a coach for the next generation of sprinters, passing on his elite knowledge of competing at the very top.

But there was one opportunity that Bolt claims would have got him to start a career in coaching without hesitation, and it involved working with a former Real Madrid and Premier League legend.

Usain Bolt believes he could have helped turn Gareth Bale into one of the fastest men on the planet. (Image: Getty)

According to Bolt, under his coaching, Gareth Bale could have become one of the fastest men on the planet after seeing the impressive speeds the Welshman clocked on the pitch.

During his debut for the La Liga giants, Bale hit speeds of almost 25mph, putting him only 2mph behind Bolt’s world-record speed.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2013, Bolt claimed: "I think Gareth is probably the fastest player in the world at the moment - but I will help him with his sprinting if he wants."

Bolt also revealed that he had previously held some sprinting training sessions with Bale's Real Madrid teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, and that he would be happy to return to the Madrid training ground to do the same for the Welshman.

Gareth Bale and Christiano Ronaldo enjoyed a successful partnership at Real Madrid. (Image: Getty)

He added: "It is not just about how fast you can accelerate - but also when you have the football at your feet about balance while you are sprinting as well. I helped Ronaldo with his sprinting in a training session - and look what he has go on to achieve since then.

"I have a lot of respect for Real Madrid - and if they and Gareth want my help I am happy to fly in and take a private training session with Gareth. I hear that he has been clocking speeds close to me - but it is about technique as well.

"I know I could make him an even better player than he already is."