Claude Makelele is set to judge the Miss Universe beauty pageant(Image: Getty Images)

A Premier League icon has explained his left-field career change by telling Daily Star Sport he "loves to see beautiful women".

Claude Makelele is a hero at Stamford Bridge for his extraordinary exploits in winning two league titles as the lynchpin of Jose Mourinho's first great Chelsea team. But few could have predicted the metronomic midfielder would find his calling in judging beauty pageants - despite the fact many would argue his judgment on the pitch was on a par with anyone on the planet.

Either way, the 53-year-old, who won the Champions League with Real Madrid, made 144 appearances for the Blues and was a World Cup runner-up with France, will now be partly responsible for deciding who is crowned the latest winner of the international honour Miss Universe in Thailand.

And Makelele, who was speaking on behalf of bet365, the official global partner of the UEFA Champions League, has now explained how the shock move came about and why he's the ideal pick for a job that millions of men surely...