Manchester City striker is set to quit football career to become the president of his home country

Manchester City striker is set to quit football career to become the president of his home country

The Manchester City star made just 28 appearances during his time with the club

Etihad Stadium
A former Manchester City striker is set to become the president of his home country.

It is very rare we see retired footballers enter into the world of politics, but this past feature from FourFourTwo provides every detail on ex-pros who fancied their hand at trying to make the world a better place (in their opinion, of course).

George Weah, Romario and even Pele are past names to have done so but a little-known centre forward who spent a brief period in England will soon become an elected government official.

Former Manchester City striker Mikheil Kavelashvili set to become the president of Georgia

Mikheil Kavelashvili (right) played just 28 times for Manchester City – scoring three goals
According to BBC Sport, former Manchester City forward Mikheil Kavelashvili is set to become the new president of Georgia.

The 58-year-old was chosen after a ruling party nominated him as their candidate earlier this year.

Would Erling Haaland ever fancy his arm at being a politician after his career?
Kavelashvili joined City from Georgian side Dinamo Tbilisi during the 1995/96 season and went on to score three goals in 28 appearances for the club.

He also netted on his debut against Manchester United in a 3-2 defeat, with the Sky Blues relegated from the English top flight that very season.

The president of Georgia is seen as mainly ceremonial and will be chosen by an internal parliamentary body.

Parliament is largely controlled by Kavelashvili’s ruling Georgian Dream party, meaning he is almost a shoo-in to be elected following the vote on 14 December with his inauguration taking place on 29 December.

Kavelashvili’s party have a mainly anti-Western stance and have in the past sided with Russia.

Kavelashvili made 46 appearances for his country, scoring nine goals including strikes against Moldova, Tunisia and Slovakia.
Manchester City Striker Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland is the son of former Leeds and Manchester City star Alf Inge Haaland. He started his career in Norway with Byrne before switching to Molde.

After a breakthrough season in 2018, the forward made the move to Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg for a fee in the region of €8m (including bonuses).

It wasn’t long before Haaland was banging in the goals. He spent eighteen months in Austria, finding the back of the net 29 times in 28 matches.

His most notable achievement was scoring in five consecutive Champions League group games; a feat that had only been achieved by 5 other players.

Haaland’s move to Dortmund
Despite interest from Salzburg’s sister club RB Leipzig, Juventus and Manchester United, the striker decided to join Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2019.

The Bundesliga side paid around €20m for Haaland but, crucially, the deal included a release clause which would become significant in his transfer to City three years later.

Many felt that the Norwegian couldn’t possibly replicate his form in Austria after his move to Germany. After all, he had scored more than a goal a game.

However, in his three seasons with Dortmund, Haaland broke records. He was the youngest player to reach 50 goals in Bundesliga history and he had done it in the fewest number of appearances too.

His arrival at City
The Premier League champions paid the €60m (£51.2m) buyout fee in Haaland’s Dortmund contract before the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

Some believed that he would struggle to score the numbers he managed in Germany but they were proven wrong once again. He broke the Premier League record in his first year at the Etihad, scoring 36 goals in 35 league appearances.

Haaland helped City win their 5th Premier League title in six years, as well as lifting the FA Cup and Champions League in a historic treble.

In his second year with the Cityzens, the Norwegian international scored 27 league goals, winning the league and the UEFA Super Cup.

Haaland’s achievements with City
He has won two Premier League Golden Boots (2022/23 and 2023/24)
Haaland was handed the PFA Player of the Year in his first season with City (2022/23)
He has also been named in the PFA Team of the Year on two separate occasions (2022/23 and 2023/24)
Haaland was the Champions League’s top scorer in 2022/23 when City won the competition
He has been awarded Manchester City’s Player of the Season (2022/23) and the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season (2022/23)
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