... played 103 League games for Monaco, 96 for Paris St. Germain and 114 for Milan, and won 60 international caps. He also played 11 games for Chelsea, on loan from Milan. In July 2000 he left Milan to join newly–promoted Manchester City on a free transfer, on a contract that was reportedly worth £30,000 a week. He left City just nine games into the 2000/1 season, dissatisfied with the amount of playing time he was being given by manager Joe Royle. He'd made nine appearances (including two in the League Cup), but only played the full 90 minutes on three occasions. He scored one goal in the Premier League and three in the League Cup (against Liverpool and Gillingham respectively).
After leaving City he signed for Marseille. Now aged 34, he made 19 appearances, scoring five goals, but left at the end of the 2000/1 season. He then spent two years with Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi, scoring 13 goals in only eight appearances. This was his last professional club.
George Weah's son Timothy was born in Brooklyn, New York, on 22 February 2000 – six weeks after Weah Senior had signed for Chelsea (on loan from Milan). He grew up in the United States, playing football in Florida and New York, and in 2017 he signed for Paris Saint German – one of his father's clubs. Since 2019 he has played for Lille. He made his full international debut for the United States in 2018, and up to the time of writing he has won 31 caps. He was part of the squad that reached the last 16 of the World Cup in Qatar, scoring against Wales in the 1–1 draw in the first group game.
In April 2000, Amy Lawrence wrote in The Grauniad (quoted on Wikipedia): "The most astonishing thing about [George] Weah is that genius on the field and generosity off it come in equal measure. He personally bankrolls his national team. Paying for players to travel to matches, supplying kit, and even offering win bonuses have amounted to tens of thousands of dollars so far. He is his country's best–known ambassador. Back home, they call him King George and adore him so much they wish he will one day become president."
© Haydn Thompson 2018