George Best · Northern Ireland
Photo : CC0 — Bert Verhoeff / Anefo (Nationaal Archief, Wikimedia Commons)
Best won the European Cup with Manchester United in 1968 and the Ballon d’Or the same year, at twenty-two. He was the first British footballer to be treated as a pop star — the nickname was the fifth Beatle — and the attention arrived a decade before the game had any idea how to manage it.
On the pitch he was a winger who dribbled at defenders in an era when they were permitted to stop him by almost any means. He scored six in an FA Cup tie at Northampton in 1970. United’s decline after Busby and Best’s drinking ran in parallel, and he left in 1974 at twenty-seven.
What followed was a long scatter of short spells — Fulham, Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, Hibernian, Bournemouth, San Jose — sixteen clubs in all, most of them brief. He died in 2005 of complications from alcoholism, aged fifty-nine. Belfast City Airport carries his name.
Club career
| Years | Club | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963–1974 | Manchester United | 361 | 137 |
| 1974 | Jewish Guild | 5 | 1 |
| 1974 | Dunstable Town | 2 | |
| 1975 | Stockport County | 3 | 2 |
| 1975–1976 | Cork Celtic | 3 | |
| 1976 | Los Angeles Aztecs | 23 | 15 |
| 1976–1977 | Fulham | 42 | 8 |
| 1977–1978 | Los Angeles Aztecs | 32 | 12 |
| 1978–1979 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 28 | 6 |
| 1979–1980 | Hibernian | 17 | 3 |
| 1980–1981 | San Jose Earthquakes | 56 | 21 |
| 1982 | Sea Bee | – | – |
| 1982 | Hong Kong Rangers | – | – |
| 1982–1983 | AFC Bournemouth | 5 | |
| 1983 | Brisbane Lions | 4 | |
| 1984 | Tobermore United | ||
| Total | 581 | 205 |
International career
| Years | Team | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964–1977 | Northern Ireland | 37 | 9 |
Honours
Related legends
Career figures compiled from public records. Competitive senior appearances only.