George Best | The Unforgettable Tale Of A Lost Star

George Best is best known for his ingenious playstyle as a dribbler in the history of football. He’s one of the ultimate gems to come out of Manchester United with an illustrious career both on and off the field. Best’s larger-than-life persona may give the impression of an arrogant celebrity, but it’s also undeniable that his skill sets are next to almost no one else’s.

Who Is George Best?

George Best was born on May 22, 1946, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Northern Irish footballer was extremely agile and gifted even as a kid and liked to cause ruckus all around the town. He was only 15 when Manchester United recruited him and he made his debut at 17 to slowly shape into one of the deadliest footballers of the club.

Best is deemed one of Manchester United’s best wingers in all of club history. He spent most of his career playing for Manchester United & scored a total of 137 goals for the club.

What Is George Best’s Age?

George Best lived to be 59 and passed away on November 25, 2005, in South Kensington, England. While his life was cut short due to diseases and depression, he had a fulfilling sports career full of multiple record-breaking milestones.

How Did George Best Die?

George Best died a comparatively tragic death. He was a raging alcoholic for most of his adult life and the health repercussions eventually led to his demise. His addiction also led to many controversial incidents including one such instance where he allegedly robbed a woman just to pay for drinks. In 1984, he was sentenced to jail for three months for drunk driving, assaulting officers, & forfeiting bail.

In 2000, Best was diagnosed with extensive liver damage. The next year, he contracted pneumonia and shortly after, he needed an emergency liver transplant as his liver couldn’t function more than 20% anymore.

However, his nonstop drinking habits caused his body to reject the transplanted liver.

In consequence, he contracted a kidney infection and was admitted to the emergency wing on 3 October 2005. Best continued to suffer through multiple organ failure and infection, ultimately leading to his death the next month on November 25, 2005. Best’s mother Anne also died from alcoholism-related cardiovascular diseases in 1978.

George Best’s Family: Brief Overview

Due to his extravagant lifestyle and drinking habits, Best faced innumerable issues with his family members after rising to stardom. He married Angela MacDonald-Janes in 1978 but they separated in 1982 and got divorced in 1986. Best was allegedly unfaithful and disrespectful towards Angela, which eventually led to their separation.

Best had a son with Angela, named Calum, who would soon follow in his father’s footsteps. Best remarried in 1995. His second wife’s name was Alex Pursey and they got divorced in 2004 as well. Alex claimed that Best was violent with her throughout their marriage and he punched her on multiple occasions in a drunken state. In Best’s own words, his destructive streak followed him from football to personal life.

George Best Son: Protégé Or Not?

While Calum Milan Best, son of George Best and Angela Macdonald-Janes didn’t pursue a career in football, he rose to stardom as a television personality instead. He inherited his charming looks and personality from his father and worked as a teenage model before moving on to television shows.

Calum was affected by his father’s drinking habits and untimely demise. After pursuing a successful career as a television personality, he became a patron of a UK charity to support the children of alcoholic and abusive parents.

Greatest Achievements Of George Best

Personal life disasters aside, George Best left a remarkable imprint as one of Manchester’s best dribblers. His aggressive and intense nature led to several game-winning goals for Manchester United. His score against Benfica in the European Cup Final of 1968 is a prime example of this. This triumph put Best on the map as one of the formidable players.

Later that year, he was also named European Footballer of the Year. He was number five on the list for Fifa Players of the Century in the same year. The ‘Belfast Boy’ went on to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award in 1968. At just 22, Best completed the trifecta by winning the league title, the European Cup, and the European Player of the Year award.

When Did George Best Retire?

Best officially retired from professional football in 1984. He made a total of 705 appearances and scored 251 goals in his club career. His international career involved 37 appearances with only 9 goals. It was clear that he became less and less agile and formidable as the years passed by due to constant alcohol abuse.

Alongside a career in football, Best pursued a brief career as a media figure due to his good looks and witty nature. He also opened a nightclub named “Slack Alice” in 1973 in Manchester and owned multiple restaurants and fashion boutiques in the city. However, he squandered most of his profits away from these establishments on personal affairs.

Final Words

George Best’s legacy of overcoming and succumbing to obstacles is both humbling and inspiring for all football lovers.

Underneath the icy exterior, this deadly dribbler had an undying love for football. Best gave up a lot of his personal dreams to hone his soccer skills to truly emerge as one of the best dribblers of all time. His impeccable intuition and athletic prowess will continue to inspire all the struggling footballers trying to leave a mark of their own.