Watmore follows Beckham & Pele with UN speech

Former Premier League forward Duncan Watmore swapped the matchday dressing room for international diplomacy after addressing delegates at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The former Sunderland and Middlesbrough striker took to the stage during Global Health Futures Day to argue that lessons from elite athletic performance should be used to improve everyday public health.

The 32-year-old completed a first-class economics degree and a masters while playing 336 times in his 15-year professional career and is now head of elite performance at wellbeing firm PEAK4.

"Using the power of football, and sport more broadly, to help make the world a better place is something I've always been incredibly passionate about," said former England Under-21 international Watmore. "To be able to speak about that on a stage like UNGA was a real privilege."

While he might seem a surprise figure in the halls of global diplomacy, Watmore has followed in some illustrious footsteps.

Pele, David Beckham, Didier Drogba and Kaka have previously addressed the General Assembly in ambassadorial roles, while 1995 Ballon d'Or winner George Weah took to the podium as President of Liberia.

Other icons, including Lionel Messi, Brazil's Marta, Ronaldo, Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan have also championed humanitarian, equal pay and development causes around UNGA summits.