subject: The Great George Best [print this page] Very few people around the world would argue against using the word genius to describe the former Manchester United and Northern Ireland player George Best. In his early days as a working class boy in Belfast, George Best was predestined for big time soccer. He had all the playing dimensions that most of his peers envied. Best began his professional career in 1963 at the age of 17 with Manchester United and made an immediate impact on the game. He made his first appearance at home against West Bromwich Albion who were then second in the first division. He started out as a traditional winger, but soon developed into a player who could operate up front line or in midfield. He would score goals beyond the mental imagery of any player. Best had a magnetic control of the ball and despiterunning back to Belfast two days after making it in England, a destiny for both fame and bad luck. At the young age of 17, Georg Best was a full member in a team of the greatest players ever seen on a football pitch, among them Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. George Best was brilliant in the 1968 European Cup Final when Manchester United won the ultimate trophy in soccer. As well as scoring against Benfica, he also finished top goal scorer in the league and was voted English and European player of the year. By then his career was at its absolute peak and he was expected to follow in the footsteps of players like Stanley Matthews. But the well behaved Stanley Matthews never stayed out boozing until the early hours like George Best used to do. Eventually he was sacked by Tommy Docherty and left Old Trafford at the age of 27 well aware of the fact that he had played with the best players he ever would. He played 361 games for Manchester United and scored 167 goals during his time there. He also starred for Northern Ireland scoring nine goals on 37 occasions. Many of Manchester Uniteds finest players up through the years have been Irish born. Still, the greatest of them all turned out to be a tiny protestant lad from Ulster.
