Stockport County: Usain Bolt underlines ace to watch out for in 2024/25 - View | OneFootball

The world-record holder focused his attention on one player in particular when the Hatters kicked off their pre-season against Chester

Highlights

Stockport County's pre-season got off to a start against non-league Chester last weekend and there was an unlikely name following events from afar: Usain Bolt.

The Hatters left the Deva Stadium with a relatively routine 3-2 win and minutes in the legs of a number of players, as intended with pre-season games.

Another feature of such warm-up games is giving new and young players an opportunity to play with the first team against unfamiliar opposition.

This occasion was no exception and this time it was the turn of young County prospect Che Gardner, who was the subject of Bolt's attention.

Usain Bolt praises Stockport County academy prospect

It's not every day that a League One club has one of the world's most famous athletes tracking their progress. It's even rarer still that it happens during pre-season against non-league opposition.

But that is precisely what happened when County defeated Chester in their friendly game, spearheaded by Gardner in the first half when he grabbed the opener.

The goal came courtesy of County new man Lewis Bate's through ball, which weaved through the Chester defence and met the determined run of Gardner, battling hard to get there first and turning it home with a single touch.

It met applause and congratulations from the crowd and the players on the pitch, but the loudest praise on the day came from the Instagram account of Bolt.

The sprinter twice posted stories about Gardner's goal to his 13.8 million followers, before leaving a comment underneath County's official account, producing a whirlwind of online attention on what would have been expected to be a relatively quiet encounter.

Bolt's link to Gardner

It may come as a shock to see the history-making Jamaican following County as fervently as the most committed season ticket holder, but the connection relates to Gardner's family.

Che, the County youngster, is the son of Bolton Wanderers legend and former Jamaica international Ricardo Gardner, who is close friends with Bolt.

The Chester game is not the first time Bolt has got into the nitty-gritty of Hatters fandom, as he was spotted earlier this year attending a Stockport youth game against Burnley Under-21s, a game that the young Gardner featured in.

Whether we'll get to see Bolt rocking up at Edgeley Park remains to be seen, but if his support for Che this year is anything to go by, it can't be ruled out.

Gardner may be one to watch for the Hatters

Putting his famous family connections to one side, Gardner's performance against the Seals may be worth taking note of as the new season rolls around.

The teenager was only a last-minute inclusion, replacing Will Collar just ahead of kick-off, and the youngster grabbed the opportunity with both hands, getting his goal and coming close on other occasions.

Before this summer, Cody Johnson and Ashton Mee were the two primary young prospects hovering around the first team, waiting for opportunities. With Mee heading out on a season-long loan to South Shields, there may be a chance Gardner is the next in line to find some minutes with the senior squad this season in the likes of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy.

If his first encounter as part of the senior squad is anything to go by, it seems he has the hunger and drive to make the most of any opportunity given to him. Should he get that chance, you can be sure Bolt will be keeping tabs on how he gets on.