George Best was born on the 22nd of May 1946 to a working class Protestant family in post-war Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Those inauspicious surroundings in the terraced streets of his home city gave little indication that the young George would go on to become one of the world's most famous, and ultimately infamous, sporting heroes.

Little indication, that is, unless Best had a football at his feet.

He was spotted at age 15 by Manchester United scout Bob Bishop and given a trial in 1961, alongside fellow Belfast boy Eric McMordie. George almost never made it at all, feeling homesick after only 24 hours at Old Trafford and returning home to Belfast.

His father Dickie knew what he was giving up though and intervened by phoning Matt Busby himself, asking if the skinny young boy from Belfast could be given another chance. Busby agreed. Best was back in Manchester within a fortnight and the rest, as they say, is history.

Turning Pro

Best turned professional in 1963 and made his debut that autumn as a 17 year old at home to West Bromwich Albion. A couple of months later, still feeling homesick, he returned to Belfast to spend Christmas with his family, but received word that United needed him to play against a Burnley side who had thrashed them 6-1 at Turf Moor on Boxing Day.

He agreed to come back as long as the club flew him to Manchester then flew him back to Belfast immediately after the match. They agreed and George Best began to see just how much Manchester United valued him, even as a 17 year old with only one league game under his belt. Best scored his first goal for United in a thrilling 5-1 victory and found himself a starting member of the team.

Establishing himself as a new Busy Babe

The following year Manchester United finished second in the League, reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup. This was their first season back in Europe since the Munich disaster of 1958 and the lingering after-effects of the tragedy still hung over the club like a black cloud.

Best was ably assisted by Bobby Charlton and Denis Law in the United side, and the "Holy Trinity", above all others, would help propel the club away from the spectre of the lost Busby Babes and into a bright new future.

The expectation levels surrounding George were growing ever stronger. He was more than up to the challenge though, displaying the skill, flair and panache, both on and off the pitch, which would lead him to be dubbed "the fifth Beatle" because of his popularity and his fashionable mop top hairstyle.

As he lead Manchester United to the league title in 1965 on the field, Best was increasingly in demand off it as well. Regular modelling assignments and opening his own fashion boutique were only the tip of the commercial iceberg for football's first real fashion icon.

The legend of El Beatle is born

After the exertions of that Championship year, United started the following season poorly and Best found himself dropped from the side. He recovered, and in one of the most memorable matches ever in European club football, inspired Manchester United to a 5-1 victory against the seemingly invincible Benfica in the Stadium of Light.

Best's season wasn't to get any better though as he damaged his knee cartilage in the European Cup semi-final and missed the rest of the season. The legend of "El Beatle" wasn't so easy to put down though.

The following season of 1966/67 was free of European worries for United and they welcomed Best back from injury to feature now on the right hand side of their attack. They won the title in style and catapulted themselves back into the race for Matt Busby's Holy Grail, the European Cup.

European Glory

Fielding arguably the greatest side in United's history, they fought their way to the final at Wembley in 1968. In an epic encounter against old foes Eusebio's Benfica, United ran out 4-1 winners in an unforgettable display of footballing skill and passion. Best scored one and was crowned European Footballer Of The Year.

This was George Best at the peak of his powers. At the age of just 22, he had won the English league title, the European Cup, and been named European Player of the Year.

Best had the world, literally, at his feet.

Even he couldn't have believed it would all start going wrong so quickly after the greatest footballing night of his career.

The downward slope

He was sent off for fighting against Estudiantes in the Intercontinental Cup, and the following season United struggled badly in the league, finishing a lowly eleventh.

Matt Busby retired and was replaced first by Wilf McGuinness and then by Frank O'Farrell. With his father figure gone, George began drinking more and, for the first time, letting it affect his training and football career.

His nocturnal habits and his fondness for the high life were the stories being printed in the papers as the 1970s began, not footballing ones, and George's interest in football almost disappeared completely.

The beginning of the end

He left, then rejoined, Manchester United in 1973 but couldn't motivate himself, and eventually took his talents off for brief spells at Stockport County, Bournemouth, Fulham, Hibernian, Los Angeles Aztecs, Cork Celtic, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, San Jose Earthquakes, Dunstable Town and Brisbane Lions.

Best wasn't even thirty years old when he gave up serious football in pursuit of the bottom of a bottle.

He turned out 37 times for Northern Ireland, some of them running teams ragged on his own, many where he didn't seem interested at all, although throughout it all he maintained the love of a nation who were always susceptible to his cheeky grin and self deprecating honesty and humour.

A legend with the ladies

George was married twice, first to the mother of his son Callum, and then to Alex, who he divorced towards the end of his life. He was, of course, a legendary womaniser who frequently consorted with movie stars and Miss Worlds. That reputation caused him no shortage of problems, both with the other ladies in his life and sometimes the police as well.

George Best was a legend on the pitch, a footballing one-off whose flame shined so brightly for such a short amount of time. We can't help but look back on the wonderful things he did in the game without asking the immortal question "what if?"

His larger than life persona, and off the field indiscretions, kept him in the public eye over the years. But it should never be forgotten that it was his unique talent that set him apart from the rest of his generation.

"There will never be another George Best"

Football writers are constantly tagging bright new prospects as "the new George Best", especially if they happen to come up through the ranks at Manchester United. This has done a great disservice to many young players such as Lee Sharpe, Keith Gillespie and Ryan Giggs over the years.

In truth, there will never be another George Best. In all areas of his life he was one of a kind, both in footballing brilliance and human frailty. A world renowned footballing talent who, sadly, also fought a life-long battle against the destructive disease of alcoholism.

A sad end

While I knew George was very ill when I wrote this article, I didn't realise just how little time he had left. George Best died on 25th November 2005 at the tragically young age of 59.

Northern Ireland, and his home city of Belfast, subsequently came to a standstill for his public funeral, allowing his many thousands of fans to grieve alongside the Best family.

Northern Ireland's Belfast City Airport was subsequently renamed "George Best Belfast City Airport" in honour of Belfast's most famous son.

Rest in peace Georgie.

Gone but never forgotten.

How then to sum up the man described by Pele and Diego Maradona as the greatest footballer who ever lived?

We have to recount the often-told, never substantiated though completely believable, anecdote about George and the hotel bellboy who, upon entering Best's hotel room to find him in bed with a magnum of champagne, thousands of pounds in cash from a winning night at the casino and the current Miss World, remarked, "George, where did it all go wrong?"

Where indeed...