Not many people will want to follow their parents’ exact footsteps, but it is noticeable that many young people’s career choices are strongly influenced by their family’s professions and socioeconomic situation – whether these are just absorbed as the norm they should aspire to, or clearly expressed as expectations. The world is replete with stories of children following their parents’ chosen careers, be it in medicine, politics, law, science and football and it seems in football there is no difference.
Fathers are a huge source of inspiration for most children around the world; when it comes to football, it is normal to see kids imitate their fathers and follow the same teams their old men follow. Moreover, there have been some kids who had the blessing of having a footballer dad and decided to emulate him.
So as the major leagues around the world came to climax last week, the news broke that Timothy Tarpeh Weah, one of the sons of President George Manneh Weah playing for the French Division one side, Lille had won the French Ligue 1 with his colleagues. This was his third major silverware to be won in his flourishing career thus far.
His feat did not come as a surprise to many people. His father, President George Manneh Weah, despite not coming from a country of outstanding football culture, managed to become one of the best footballers in the world during the 90s, winning the Ballon d’Or, being the first and only African player to win that prize. He really was great during his prime and now his son is looking to do the same thing he did or improve upon his dad’s record.
Though the news has already gone wide around world at least speaking from the fact that the French league title has for a long time now being an exclusive property of Paris Saint Germaine, the first family, President George Manneh Weah and First Lady Clar Marie Duncan Weah, via the Executive Mansion Website on Monday, May 24, 2021, broke the news to the Liberian public.
“On behalf of the entire Weah and Duncan families, Clar and I extend our proud and heartfelt congratulations to our beloved son, Timothy Tarpeh Weah for once again winning the French Ligue 1 title as Champions for the 2021-2022 season”, President Weah said.
He proudly furthered: “As a winner of the Ligue 1 title myself, I know it takes immense determination, hard work, commitment and steadfastness week after week to emerge as a champion. Having secured the Championship at PSG in France, Celtics in Scotland, this is Timothy’s 3rd top flight title in Europe”.
Having grown up in the United States, Timothy Weah moved to France in 2014, playing for the Paris Saint-Germain youth team before signing with the first-team three years later.
Playing mostly for the club’s reserves and youth sides, the 20-year-old striker made his first-team debut in March 2018, coming off the bench in a 2-0 win over Troyes and scored his first goal for the club in the Trophee des Champions against Monaco. He also received his first senior call-up to the USMNT in the same month.
Timothy spent the second half of the 2018/19 season on loan with Celtic, where he scored four goals in 17 matches, but that wasn’t enough for PSG to keep faith in his ability, selling him to fellow Ligue 1 side Lille in the summer of 2019 where he has been and winning the league title this year, the second of its kind since she first won it in 2011.
The first family lauded his resilience that took him to the top along with his career this year: “In spite of many injuries and having played 28 games, this is a feat we know Tim had always wanted. That is why Clar and I feel particularly proud of him and his teammates”
The success of Timothy can be seen from three perspectives. From one angle we can say that it teaches us a lesson that with determination, dedication and focus, one can achieve a career objective in the midst of distraction and difficulties. He chose his career and is following it to the future despite other options he might have encountered over the years.
Secondly, he decided to be himself and stick to his passion and not to be distracted by the status of his family, especially his father who is currently a sitting president. Not many young people will do this; once a parent or a relative becomes successful, they abandon what they were doing and follow the fortune from their parents or relatives.
Thirdly, it illustrates honest work and success especially in times like these when many young people take on the fast lane to be rich through involvement in drug related transactions and other vices.
While congratulating him for his victory, nothing much befitting to say it then repeating the ending part of the congratulatory message from his parents:” Let us use this opportunity to admonish all young people in the beautiful game that talent alone is not sufficient; but discipline, hard work and dedication is what takes you through.”
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