5 Astonishing Facts To Know About George Weah – The Ex-World Best Footballer Elected Liberia’s New President

Liberia’s new president-elect, George Weah, has lived a life in three acts. It has seen him move from a childhood in the slums of the capital Monrovia, to Europe’s most famous football pitches and now he is set to be entering Liberia’s halls of power as president.So how did the man known as “King George” to his supporters come to be contesting for Liberia’s top job?

Growing up: It will take you less than half an hour to drive between Clara Town, the slum where Mr Weah grew up, and the Executive Mansion. And yet, they are a world apart. Mr Weah was sent to Clara Town – an area built on a swamp and beset by disease and overcrowding – to live with his grandmother by his parents, who lived in south-eastern Grand Kru County, one of Liberia’s most under-developed areas. This less-than-auspicious start is one of the things which makes him such a hero to his supporters.“Weah is grass roots, a son of the soil – he is a star, but he has the country at heart,” Oliver Myers, an unemployed 39-year-old from just outside Monrovia, told news agency Reuters this year. It was Mr Weah’s talent and determination which gave him a route out of Clara Town. As a teenager, he began playing league football in Liberia, eventually dropping out of school in his final year to concentrate on the sport – a decision that led to riches but which would come back to haunt him almost two decades later.Football star: Weah’s life changed forever when, aged 21, Arsene Wenger spotted him playing for a team in Cameroon. The manager brought him over to Europe, where he would play for AS Monaco. From there, it was on to Paris Saint Germain, AC Milan, Chelsea, Manchester City and Olympique Marseille.George Weah: Five interesting facts

  • Born 1 October, 1966
  • Made his name playing for Monaco for five seasons, from 1987
  • Only African to ever win the Ballon d’Or
  • Retired from football in 2002
  • First ran for president in 2005Photo Credit: Getty

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