George Best

George Best in 1976

George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United. A highly skilful dribbler, Best is regarded as one of the best players in the history of the sport. He was named European Footballer of the Year in 1968 and came fifth in the FIFA Player of the Century vote. Best received plaudits for his playing style, which combined pace, skill, balance, feints, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to get past defenders.

Quotes

• If you'd given me the choice of going out and beating four men and smashing a goal in from thirty yards against Liverpool or going to bed with Miss World, it would have been a difficult choice. Luckily, I had both.
  • In the book The Afterlife by Paul Morley "[1]", Footy Factor (April 23, 2009).

• I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.
  • Reported in "Best: Decline of the golden boy", BBC News (June 14 2005).

• I used to go missing a lot... Miss Canada, Miss United Kingdom, Miss World.
  • Reported in "The things they say: George Best", FIFA.com (July 31, 2009).

• I've stopped drinking, but only while I'm asleep.
  • C. 1974; reported in Patrick West, Beating Them at Their Own Game: How the Irish Conquered English Soccer (2006), p. 188.

• In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life.
  • Reported in Ned Sherrin, Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations (2008), p. 153.

• He cannot kick with his left foot, he cannot head a ball, he cannot tackle and he doesn't score many goals. Apart from that he's all right.
  • On David Beckham; reported in "The things they say: George Best", FIFA.com (July 31, 2009).

• There have been a few players described as the new George Best over the years, but this is the first time it's been a compliment to me.
  • On Cristiano Ronaldo; reported in "Funniest ever footie quotes", TheSun.co.uk (March 8, 2008).

About George Best

• ...the Englishman [sic], George Best, who was an amazing footballer in his day but at the same time he was a bum and a drunk – a bohemian. Because of his soccer art though, he had a royal funeral.
  • Dragoslav Šekularac,
    • quoted in interview with Prvoslav Vujcic (2006-05-01). "'Get Out of Here, I am Sekularac'". Urban Book Circle. Retrieved on 2016-05-15.