The founder of the Right to Dream Academy, Tom Vernon, says football legend and former Liberia president, George Weah, warned him he would fail with the Right to Dream project if he were focused on personal gains.

The Englishman, who arrived in Ghana as a 19-year-old in 1999, added that this has become a guiding principle for him since he started the academy.

Tom made this known in an all-access interview with Joy Sports at the Right to Dream campus in Akosombo.

“George Weah got closest to me, and for some reason, he took a liking to me, and then he used to come and train at the old academy with the boys.

“In those times, Ajax and Feyenoord were the big academies in Ghana.

“He [Weah] asked me, Tom, one day, 'What are you trying to achieve?' I said, 'I want to have an academy like that,' he said, 'Then you're going to fail.' I asked why, and he said, 'Because they're not here for Ghana.'

“That's the most pertinent thing anybody's ever said to me, and I asked him what the meaning is, he said, 'You have to find something which is really here for Ghana.'”

Tom Vernon explained that George Weah’s advice has shaped the Right to Dream model since.

“Whatever you're hoping to achieve can be a byproduct, but if you're here for yourself like Ajax were here for themselves, it’s gonna fail. You see it’s prophetic because they failed.

“Our idea was like okay, if we here for Ghana, what does it mean? Let's make sure that every kid, once you're in here, you’re guaranteed to be in for five years.

“In the European model, if you have a bad season, you go home. No problem because you have a good life outside of your academy.

“But here, you know for a kid to come into this environment and then think every year I might be asked to leave. That is an untenable situation.”

Tom Vernon has now stepped down as Right to Dream CEO but still plays a role at the board level.

You can watch Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo’s special interview with the Right to Dream founder on Saturday, June 15 at 7:30 pm on the Joy News channel.

George Weah warned I would fail if I focused on personal gains – Right to Dream Founder, Tom Vernon

Watch extended interview here: https://t.co/jLO24uzlzS#JoySports pic.twitter.com/1MFW4sSs0L

— #EurosOnMGL (@JoySportsGH) June 14, 2024