Born in East Belfast, Northern Ireland, he made his Football League debut for United and won the first of 31 international caps before he was 18. He made 446 League appearances for United between 1963 and 1973, scoring 178 goals. He was a perhaps the most important member of the great United team which won the League Championship twice in the 1960s as well as the European Cup in 1968 when he scored a superb solo goal in the Final.Best later claimed that having beaten round the Benfica keeper he wanted to take the ball up to the line stop it, lie down on the ground and head the ball over the line. Only a truly special sort of player would even have considered such an outrageous act in a game of such importance.

After five years of playing breathtaking football, in 1968 he finally and deservedly won both the English and European Footballer of the Year awards. He was also top scorer that year with 28 goals, and for the following four seasons.Goals captured on television such as the dazzling runs against Sheffield United,Chelsea and West Ham and the delicate lob against Spurs have become all-time classics.In 1970 he scored six goals in an 8-2 win over Northampton in the FA Cup, the most goals scored in a single match by any United player.
  

The first pop-star footballer

Sometimes nicknamed "the fifth Beatle", he was one of the most famous stars of Britain in the 1960s. Best was the first pop-star footballer, a personification of 1960's youth culture and the swinging sixties.You ask Ryan Giggs if he's had a pop song written about him or got 10,000 fan letters a week! Sadly this proved his eventual downfall as he became a casualty of intense media attention,Best could not concentrate on football without being hounded everywhere by the papparatzzi.

Unfortunatley, increasingly wayward behaviour off the field and alcohol related problems impaired his health and ultimately shortened his career. Best opened a night club and a number of fashion boutiques which were not a success, while a string of famous actress/model girlfriend's meant he was under incredible media scrutiny.After a series of on-off retirements and a dip in form, he left United for good on New Years Day 1974 in his final game against QPR.
 

Post-United Years

He then played for numerous other clubs, most notably Fulham (76-77) with Rodney Marsh.Then there was Stockport County, Hibernian and USA soccer teams L.A. Aztecs (1976-78) Fort Lauderdale Strikers (78-79) and San Jose Earthquakes (80-81).Even though perhaps not as fit as in his prime the incredible skill was still apparent, no one could take that from him. He finally ended his football career with Bournemouth in 1983, although went on to play in many charity and friendly matches.In the 1990's he has established himself as a successful sports commentator with Sky Sports and after dinner speaker. Though playing for many clubs, today it is still clear that Manchester United are the only team that remains close to his heart.In 2000 Best had health problems due to liver damage caused by years of excess: Every football fan should wish him a full recovery.

Conclusion

There are many regrets for Best such as ending his career early, and never displaying his phenomonal skills in the World Cup Finals.However, when you look at the positive things he brought to British football, the moments of sheer breath-taking excitement, the glory of 1968, the lifestyle he led, George Best has lived more than most of us ever will.Lets also not forget he played for 11 seasons at United - few modern day players will have a career as long in the red shirt.The classic story of the wayward genius who had it all and supposedly threw it all away, people who say this do not realise that it was this wild self-destructive streak that made him the player he was.Genius often goes hand in hand with some sort of eccentric quality,a quality that gives that creative spark others do not possess. And,George Best was the ultimate genius, a player that took the game to a different level, a level which mere footballing mortals can only gaze up at, in wonder, awe and sheer exhilaration.