Celtic's Weah motivated by comparisons with father George

Glasgow (AFP) – Celtic forward Timothy Weah says he will have no problem shouldering the weight of the famous name adorning the back of his new shirt.

The 18-year-old’s father George, now the president of Liberia, shot to fame with AC Milan during the 1990s, helping the Rossoneri lift two Serie A titles while claiming the 1995 Ballon d’Or.

But Timothy Weah, who has joined up with Brendan Rodgers’s squad in Dubai after signing a six-month loan deal from Paris Saint-Germain, is comfortable with the expectation levels that will be placed on him.

“There’s no pressure at all — I thrive on it all,” he told Celtic TV after flying out to meet his new teammates at their winter training camp. “I just go with the flow.

“Of course people are going to compare me to my father and there’s no problem with that.

“At the end of the day I’m going to have to live with that for the rest of my life, whether I like it or not.

“But I love it. It pushes me to be a better me, a better athlete, a better player. It’s just motivation and I use it to my advantage.”

Weah, who has eight caps for the United States, said he was excited to be at Celtic under Rodgers.

“It’s a great honour joining this historic club,” he said. 

“I’m so happy to have joined Celtic and to be with this great team and amazing coaching staff. I can’t wait to play my first game in front of these amazing Celtic fans,” he added.

“To be blessed to do that at such a young age is an amazing opportunity.”