Instant Alert: The extraordinary life of George Weah, the former Premier League footballer who is now President of Liberia

MANAGE SUBSCRIPTIONS   |   UNSUBSCRIBE   |   VIEW ONLINE   The extraordinary life of George Weah, the former Premier League footballer who is now President of Liberia by Alexandra Ma on Jan 22, 2018, 7:58 AM Advertisement Liberia's president was officially sworn in on Monday, in the first peaceful transfer of powerful the African nation has seen in more than 70 years after being ruled by a succession of warlords. Just as remarkable, however, was who took up the country's highest office: former Premier League soccer star George Weah. Weah, 51, succeeded Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who took over in the wake of a civil war in 2006. He had campaigned for office twice before, but is best-known internationally for his soccer career in the 1990s, where he played for clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain. Scroll down to learn more about George Weah, also known as "King George" — who said Nelson Mandela encouraged him to become a politician, and whose life Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger said "can make a fantastic film." George Weah grew up in Clara Town, a slum in the Liberian capital of Monrovia. It was this impoverished upbringing that attracted many of his followers. Source: Reuters He started playing soccer as a teenager — and became so good that he dropped out of his final year of school to go professional. He told The Guardian in December: "When I started playing football, I never thought I would ever win the Ballon d’Or and emerge as the best player in the world. I just had a passion for the game and I worked hard. Every day. I would rather train than eat or sleep." Source: The Guardian, BBC In 1988, while playing for the Cameroonian club Tonnerre Yaoundé, he was spotted and taken to Europe by then-AS Monaco manager Arsène Wenger, who now runs Arsenal FC. Weah said of Wenger: "This was a man, when racism was at its peak, who showed me love." Weah even invited Wenger to attend his inauguration, but the Arsenal manager was busy. Wenger told the BBC: "I wish he has a happy presidency and I would like to say this guy is an example for everybody who plays football today." He added: "The life of this guy is a real film. It is unbelievable. It can make a fantastic film." Source: The Guardian, Reuters, BBC See the rest of the story at Business Insider   Share the latest business news with your network:    Email sent to: nguyenvu1187.love5@blogger.com   |   Manage your email preferences   |   Unsubscribe Terms of Service   |   Privacy Policy Business Insider. 150 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011