GEORGE BESTGeorge Best, who died on 25 November, 2005, at the age of 59, was regarded by many as the finest footballer ever to grace British football.Blessed with speed, fantastic dribbling skills, incredible acceleration to get past players and sublime ability with both feet, he was once described by Pele as “the greatest footballer in the world”.During the 'swinging sixties' he also became the first sportsman to transcend the world of sport and celebrity, thanks largely to his good looks and long hair.George Best was born on 22 May, 1946, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and became obsessed with football from an early age. He was first photographed with a ball at his feet at 14 months, whilst every year he received exactly the same Christmas present - a new ball, kit and boots.Rejected by countless clubs for being too small and thin, he was finally spotted by a scout from Manchester United at the age of 15 and was sent to Manchester to learn his trade under the tutelage of then United manager Matt Busby.After making his debut against West Bromwich Albion in September 1963, he quickly became a regular fixture in a team that went on to win the English league in 1965 and again in 1967, whilst he also made his debut for Northern Ireland at the age of 18 in April 1964.It was on the European stage that he really caught the eye though, particularly after an inspirational performance in which he scored two goals in the first 10 minutes of a 5-1 demolition of a strong Benfica side in the European Cup in 1966.Two years later he again starred as United became the first English club to win the competition, tormenting Benfica for a second time in a 4-1 win at Wembley, leading to his crowning as European footballer of the year in 1968.His lifestyle away from football soon caused unrest at Old Trafford, and after a number of incidents the club sacked him in 1974 at the age of 28. He had made 466 appearances for United, scoring a total of 178 goals, and also won 37 caps - scoring nine goals - for Northern Ireland.He continued to play football, making appearances for 11 clubs, but his finest days as a player were well behind him.In 1998 he was hired by Sky Sports as a football pundit. He also worked successfully as an after-dinner speaker.By 1999years of drinking had taken their toll and he was found to have severe cirrhosis of the liver, resulting in a liver transplant in 2002. Within a year Mr Best was drinking again though, leading to the collapse of his second marriage in 2004.Shortly before his death he requested a picture of him in his hospital bed at London's Cromwell hospital intensive care unit be published in a national newspaper with the message “Don’t die like me”, and four days later he passed away, the cause of death attributed to a lung Infection and multiple organ failure.His mother, Anne, died in 1978 aged 55, and his father Dickie - patron of the George Best Foundation - diedon 16April,2008, aged 88.Fully aware of the role he had played in adding glamour to football, George Best once stated that: "I was the one who took football off the back pages and put it on to page one."
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