OUT OF THE BLUE Premier League winner, 52, lands shock new job as Miss Universe judge as he says ‘we love to see beautiful women

A PREMIER LEAGUE hero – famed for redefining his position – will be on the judging panel at this year’s Miss Universe contest.

Claude Makelele was an expert in putting out fires on the pitch and he’ll soon be immersed in hot stuff of a different variety.

Makelele will be on the judging panel at the Miss Universe contest later this month

Thailand is set to host this year’s pageant

Defensive midfield became ‘the Makelele role’ during a stint at Chelsea which saw him win two Premier League titles and an FA Cup between 2003 and 2008.

And later this month he’ll be a central figure in the battle for another piece of silverware.

He told The Daily Star: “I think, in life, you need to have many experiences, and my people who work with me presented me with this opportunity. So why not?

“We all come from ladies, we were born from ladies. We also have a family, we have a wife and we have a girlfriend.

“Yes, the women in general are beautiful women. We love to see beautiful women, it’s normal. It will be my first experience, so I thought why not?”

Thailand is set to host this year’s Miss Universe contest on November 21.

And Makelele may be walking into a tense atmosphere after a surreal confrontation between a Thai official and Miss Mexico at an event earlier this week.

The official berated her in front of fellow competitors for failing to post promotional content. She then walked out and was followed by several other contestants in solidarity.

Makelele, 52, may not have expected his career to head in this direction after hanging up his boots in 2011.

His career took in spells with Marseille, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as the Blues, while he was a veteran of 71 caps with the French national team.

Makelele has dipped his toe into football management with French side Bastia, Belgian club Eupen and Greek outfit Asteras Tripolis over the past 11 years.

And he’s not yet ready to close that chapter, telling SunSport earlier this week: “I have a talent for seeing something in young players, many managers don’t have time to give young boys. They need understanding and listening to.

“I’m thinking about it. One day I will come back and manage a team again.”

Makelele was a serial winner at Chelsea