George Best

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Lore & Background

Born in Belfast, Best began his club career in England with Manchester United after being discovered at age 15. He made his debut at 17, scored 179 goals in 470 appearances over 11 years, and won two League titles, two Charity Shields, and the European Cup. In international football, Best was capped 37 times for Northern Ireland between 1964 and 1977 and never played in a major tournament final.

In Their Own Story

The green shirt of Northern Ireland was a different kind of stage for George Best. With Manchester United, he was the star of a global powerhouse; with his country, he was the lone genius in a side that often struggled to qualify for major tournaments. He played 37 times for Northern Ireland between 1964 and 1977, but a combination of the team's performance and his own lack of fitness in 1982 meant he never played in the finals of a major tournament. Best himself described his international career as 'recreational football', noting that the expectations placed on a smaller nation were much less than with his club. Despite this, the Irish Football Association called him the 'greatest player to ever pull on the green shirt of Northern Ireland', and he is regarded as one of the greatest players never to have played at a World Cup.

Reader's Guide

Best is regarded as one of the greatest players never to have played at a World Cup. He played for Northern Ireland, not England, and wore the green shirt of Northern Ireland. His international career was described by him as 'recreational football'.

Did You Know?

• Best was named European Footballer of the Year in 1968.
• He came fifth in the FIFA Player of the Century vote.
• He was an inaugural inductee into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
• Best's mother was an Irish hockey international.
• He died in 2005 aged 59 from complications of immunosuppressive drugs after a liver transplant.