In 1988, Arsene Wenger Brought One Unknown Player From Cameroon To Europe. 30 Years After, George Weah Is About To Pay Back That Debt By Conferring Liberia’s Highest Honour On His Former Coach.
In my short intense sojourn on earth, if there is one lesson if I have learned in my life journey, it is this; if you want to go far in life, you need one of these 4 factors to be right and here we go:
Rich parents
Fortune/Wealth from your parents/family.
When these 2 are not available,you need God and then fate to smile at your hustle and hard work.
A Destiny helper/Father figure to open closed doors for you.
For George Weah, he was born into poverty and brought up in the slums of one of Monrovia’s poorest parts, regardless, George was determined to rewrite his story and change it for good.
He took to playing football since his parents were too poor to send him to school.
In 1988, George Weah moved to Cameroon for greener pastures and to take his football career to the next level.
One Le Roy who was a close confidant of Arsene Wenger saw Weah displaying his sublime football skills when he travelled to Cameroun for a project.
Le Roy was super impressed at the raw talent that was Weah that he then alerted Wenger who was a coach at Monaco and then impressed on him to sign Weah.
There was no internet at that time, no Youtube where Arsene Wenger could check out the raw skills his friend told him about but he trusted his instinct and took the biggest gamble of his life by signing unknown George Weah in 1988 to bring him over to Monaco.
Racism was rife in Europe in 1988, Wenger knew this but still went ahead to sign the raw talent who had no international exposure at that time.
Hear George Weah as takes over from here:
“When I moved to Monte Carlo [to play for Monaco from the Cameroonian club Tonnerre Yaoundé in 1988] I didn’t play for the first six months. But I was determined to showcase my talent, to prove to those back home, who thought that my coming to Europe was a waste of time, that I was a good player.”
Arsène Wenger was Weah’s coach at Monaco. The relationship between them was anything but ordinary. “He was a father figure and regarded me as his son. This was a man, when racism was at its peak, who showed me love. He wanted me to be on the pitch for him every day.
One day, I was quite tired of training and told him that I was having a headache. He said to me: ‘George, I know it’s tough but you need to work hard. I believe that with your talent, you can become one of the best players in the world.’ So, I listened and kept going on. Besides God, I think that without Arsène, there was no way I would have made it in Europe.”
Did you hear that?
Without Wenger, there is no way George Weah would have made it Europe and the implication is that he would not have been the successful football player that he is today and his life might have taken a different trajectory if not for Wenger.
Arsene Winger was the destiny helper that opened career door for him that enabled him become the brand “George Weah”that he is today.
Imagine for a moment that Wenger did not trust his instinct and gut by bringing him to Europe, George Weah would have end up as a local Liberia player with immense raw talent that retired to his home town in Monrovia after giving his best.
Because Wenger believed in him, George Weah has lived a very fulfilled life, one in which he has achieved a lot. The only player to win the African, European and world footballer of the year titles in one season – in 1995 – the former Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Milan and Chelsea striker has a very secure place among football’s legends.
But that was not enough for the 52- year-old, who remains the only African to be voted as the world’s top player. He is not content to live a quiet life and enjoy the memories of his distinguished career.
His popularity from his footballing career saw him win a landslide run-off victory last December in Liberia's presidential elections and he was elected as the 52th president of Liberia.
George Weah has not forgotten the love and the role Wenger played in shaping the man that he is today, in his own modest way of saying thank you Wenger, Arsene Wenger is to travel to Liberia this week to receive the west African country's highest honour from his mentee who is now the president of Liberia.
Incredible!
Who would have thought about this 30 years ago.
I will like to conclude this intervention of mine with this popular quote:
You will not remember how much money you made throughout your career.
However, you will remember every single person that graciously opened a career door for you.
Every single person that gave you a ladder
.
Every single person that believed in you and gave you an opportunity to prove your Competence.
Opening doors for others is important and meaningful work.
Be a door opener. Be remembered.
Take a bow Arsene Winger!
You are a legend and you deserve endless accolade for changing the life of a poor boy from the slum of Monrovia.
The summary of this story is simple; God can use one man, just one man to change your story but you must show competence that you can deliver the goods, just like George Weah did with his story.