I’m a Ballon d’Or winner who spent nine forgettable months in the Premier League – now I’m my country’s president

GEORGE WEAH had a stunning career in football before moving into politics.

Weah, 57, starred for a range of top European teams, including Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan.

AP:Associated PressGeorge Weah is the only African player to win the Ballon d’Or[/caption]

APNow he is the president of his native Liberia[/caption]

His success in France and Italy saw him win the Ballon d’Or in 1995.

It made him the first, and so far only, African player to win the prize.

After five years in Milan which saw him win two Serie A titles, Weah was lured to the Premier League on loan by Chelsea.

In his half season with the Blues, Weah endeared himself to Chelsea fans by scoring against Tottenham on his debut.

He then went on to lift the FA Cup later that season, scoring twice in the run with vital goals against Leicester and Gillingham.

Chelsea did not make the transfer permanent, though Weah did end up back in England with Manchester City.

He signed a two-year contract with City which was reportedly worth £30,000 a week.

However, he left in October 2000 after growing dissatisfied with boss Roe Royle for selecting him as a sub.

He would then return to France with Marseille before a move to United Arab Emirates side side Al-Jazira.

Weah would then move in politics, announcing his intention to run for the presidency in his native Liberia in 2005.

His first run was unsuccessful, but he remained active in the country’s politics until 2016 before launching his second bid.

And in 2017, Weah was successful, receiving 38.4 per cent of votes in the first round before winning the run-off with 60 per cent.

He is now eyeing a second successive term ahead of the election, and is into the run-off which will be decided against November 7.