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

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."