What was George Best’s cause of death, who are his wives Alex and Angie and when did he play for Manchester United?
Sponsored by
TRAGIC genius is a term often bandied around to describe George Best.
The Northern Irishman was one of the greatest players to kick a football, but his life was blighted by alcoholism.
Who was George Best?
Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 22 May 1946, Best's footballing talent was noticed from a young age and he was soon discovered by Manchester United.
The winger made his United debut at the age of just 17.
Owing to his dashing looks, Best was the first celebrity footballer, with the nickname 'El Beatle'.
Who did George Best play for?
Best played for Manchester United from 1963 to 1974, making a total of 470 appearance for the club.
He won the European Cup in 1968 with United and in the same year was named European Footballer of the Year.
However, in 1974 he ended up leaving United, and began to slide down the footballing pyramid.
A year earlier, he had announced his retirement for the second time after a dispute with manager Tommy Docherty.
Over the next decade he had spells with clubs in South Africa, United States, Scotland and Australia.
At international level, he played 37 times for Northern Ireland, scoring nine goals.
What did George Best win?
Despite a career which ended far too early, with Manchester United he won the Football League First Division in 1965 and 1967, the prestigious European Cup in 1968.
He was named FWA Footballer of the Year in 1968.
In 2002 he was given the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.
Who was George Best married to?
Best famously quipped: "In 1969 I gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life."
He was married twice - to Angela MacDonald-Janes in 1978, and to Alex Pursey in 1995.
His son Calum - now a reality TV star - was born in 1981, but five years later he separated from Angela.
He married Alex in 1995, but they divorced in 2004.
It was in 2004 when Alex alleged that he was violent towards her during their marriage.
Most read in football
How did George Best die?
Best suffered from alcoholism for the majority of his life.
He had a liver transplant in 2002, and died on 25 November 2005 in London's Cromwell Hospital from multiple organ failure, aged 59.
Over 100,000 mourners gathered for the route of his funeral service.
On 22 May 2006, on what would have been his 60th birthday, Belfast City Airport was renamed George Best Belfast City Airport.