George Best
| Date of birth | 22 May 1946 |
| Place of birth | Belfast |
| Nationality | Northern Irish |
| Position | Midfielder/Forward |
| Died | 25 November 2005 |
Best is reputedly the finest footballer ever produced by the British Isles. His total control of a football combined with every other attribute required by a player, meant he could have held down any outfield position. However, it is as a consummate wingman that he is remembered, an outstanding individualist within a team ethic, he was never merely a circus act. He combined the life of a rock star with that of an athlete, a seemingly impossible act which eventually consumed him. He won two League titles (1965 and 1967) and the European Cup (1968). His six goals at Northampton in the FA Cup of 1970 remains a club record.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | 01 May 1963 | 01 Sep 1976 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-64 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 7 | 2 |
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| 1963-64 | Manchester United | League Division One | 17 | 4 |
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| 1963-64 | Manchester United | UEFA European Cup Winners Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1964-65 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 7 | 2 |
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| 1964-65 | Manchester United | Fairs Cup | 11 | 2 |
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| 1964-65 | Manchester United | League Division One | 41 | 10 |
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| 1965-66 | Manchester United | European Cup | 6 | 4 |
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| 1965-66 | Manchester United | FA Charity Shield | 1 | 1 |
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| 1965-66 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 5 | 3 |
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| 1965-66 | Manchester United | League Division One | 31 | 9 |
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| 1966-67 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1966-67 | Manchester United | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1966-67 | Manchester United | League Division One | 42 | 10 |
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| 1967-68 | Manchester United | European Cup | 9 | 3 |
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| 1967-68 | Manchester United | FA Charity Shield | 1 | ||||
| 1967-68 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 2 | 1 |
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| 1967-68 | Manchester United | League Division One | 41 | 28 |
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| 1968-69 | Manchester United | European Cup | 6 | 2 |
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| 1968-69 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 6 | 1 |
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| 1968-69 | Manchester United | Intercontinental Cup | 2 |
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| 1968-69 | Manchester United | League Division One | 41 | 19 |
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| 1969-70 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 8 | 6 |
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| 1969-70 | Manchester United | League Cup | 8 | 2 |
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| 1969-70 | Manchester United | League Division One | 37 | 15 |
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| 1969-70 | Rest of the UK | Prince of Wales Investiture | 1 | ||||
| 1970-71 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 2 | 1 |
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| 1970-71 | Manchester United | League Cup | 6 | 2 |
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| 1970-71 | Manchester United | League Division One | 40 | 18 |
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| 1971-72 | Manchester United | FA Cup | 7 | 5 |
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| 1971-72 | Manchester United | League Cup | 6 | 3 |
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| 1971-72 | Manchester United | League Division One | 40 | 18 |
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| 1972-73 | Manchester United | League Cup | 4 | 2 |
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| 1972-73 | Manchester United | League Division One | 19 | 4 |
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| 1973-74 | Manchester United | League Division One | 12 | 2 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Jul 1969 | Wales v Rest of the UK | W | 0-1 | Prince of Wales Investiture | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963-64 | Northern Ireland | British Home Championship | 1 | ||||
| 1963-64 | Northern Ireland | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1964-65 | Northern Ireland | British Home Championship | 2 | 1 |
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| 1964-65 | Northern Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 5 | 2 |
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| 1965-66 | Northern Ireland | British Home Championship | 2 | ||||
| 1965-66 | Northern Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1966-67 | Northern Ireland | UEFA European Championship | 1 | ||||
| 1967-68 | Northern Ireland | UEFA European Championship | 1 | ||||
| 1968-69 | Northern Ireland | British Home Championship | 3 | ||||
| 1968-69 | Northern Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 1 | 1 |
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| 1969-70 | Northern Ireland | British Home Championship | 3 | 1 |
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| 1969-70 | Northern Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1970-71 | Northern Ireland | British Home Championship | 3 | ||||
| 1970-71 | Northern Ireland | UEFA European Championship | 3 | 4 |
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| 1971-72 | Northern Ireland | UEFA European Championship | 2 | ||||
| 1972-73 | Northern Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 1 |
1
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| 1973-74 | Northern Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1976-77 | Northern Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 2 |
1
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| 1976-77 | Northern Ireland | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1977-78 | Northern Ireland | FIFA World Cup | 2 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Apr 1964 | Wales v Northern Ireland | W | 2-3 | British Home Championship | |
| 29 Apr 1964 | Northern Ireland v Uruguay | W | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Oct 1964 | Northern Ireland v England | L | 3-4 | British Home Championship | |
| 14 Oct 1964 | Northern Ireland v Switzerland | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 5 |
| 14 Nov 1964 | Switzerland v Northern Ireland | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 5 |
| 25 Nov 1964 | Scotland v Northern Ireland | L | 3-2 | British Home Championship | |
| 17 Mar 1965 | Northern Ireland v Netherlands | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 5 |
| 07 Apr 1965 | Netherlands v Northern Ireland | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 5 |
| 07 May 1965 | Northern Ireland v Albania | W | 4-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 5 |
| 02 Oct 1965 | Northern Ireland v Scotland | W | 3-2 | British Home Championship | |
| 10 Nov 1965 | England v Northern Ireland | L | 2-1 | British Home Championship | |
| 24 Nov 1965 | Albania v Northern Ireland | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 5 |
| 22 Oct 1966 | Northern Ireland v England | L | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 21 Oct 1967 | Northern Ireland v Scotland | W | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 23 Oct 1968 | Northern Ireland v Turkey | W | 4-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 03 May 1969 | Northern Ireland v England | L | 1-3 | British Home Championship | |
| 06 May 1969 | Scotland v Northern Ireland | D | 1-1 | British Home Championship | |
| 10 May 1969 | Northern Ireland v Wales | D | 0-0 | British Home Championship | |
| 10 Sep 1969 | Northern Ireland v USSR | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 4 |
| 18 Apr 1970 | Northern Ireland v Scotland | L | 0-1 | British Home Championship | |
| 21 Apr 1970 | England v Northern Ireland | L | 3-1 | British Home Championship | |
| 25 Apr 1970 | Wales v Northern Ireland | L | 1-0 | British Home Championship | |
| 11 Nov 1970 | Spain v Northern Ireland | L | 3-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 03 Feb 1971 | Cyprus v Northern Ireland | W | 0-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 21 Apr 1971 | Northern Ireland v Cyprus | W | 5-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 15 May 1971 | Northern Ireland v England | L | 0-1 | British Home Championship | |
| 18 May 1971 | Scotland v Northern Ireland | W | 0-1 | British Home Championship | |
| 22 May 1971 | Northern Ireland v Wales | W | 1-0 | British Home Championship | |
| 22 Sep 1971 | USSR v Northern Ireland | L | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 16 Feb 1972 | Northern Ireland v Spain | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 4 |
| 18 Oct 1972 | Bulgaria v Northern Ireland | L | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 14 Nov 1973 | Portugal v Northern Ireland | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 13 Oct 1976 | Netherlands v Northern Ireland | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 10 Nov 1976 | Belgium v Northern Ireland | L | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 27 Apr 1977 | West Germany v Northern Ireland | L | 5-0 | International Friendly | |
| 21 Sep 1977 | Northern Ireland v Iceland | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 12 Oct 1977 | Northern Ireland v Netherlands | L | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.