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Soccer legend George Best dies at age 59
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-26 10:10
George Best, one of the most dazzling and entertaining players in soccer
history whose playboy living and drinking escapades became a staple of tabloid
gossip, died Friday after decades of alcohol abuse. He was 59.
A photograph of
former Manchester United soccer legend George Best lies on the ground
outside Old Trafford football ground in Manchester, England, Friday Nov.
25, 2005. Best, the dazzling soccer icon of the 1960s and 70s who reveled
in a hard-drinking playboy lifestyle, died after decades of alcohol abuse,
hospital officials said. He was 59. [AP] |
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Best, who starred in the 1960s and 1970s for Manchester United and Northern
Ireland, had a liver transplant three years ago and had been hospitalized since
Oct. 1 because of a reaction to medication to control his alcoholism.
He appeared close to death last month when doctors discovered internal
bleeding. He was readmitted to intensive care a week ago with a lung infection
and was put on life support. His condition deteriorated sharply Thursday.
"After a long and very valiant fight, Mr. George Best died this afternoon in
the intensive care unit at Cromwell Hospital," the hospital said in a statement.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said Best was "probably the most naturally gifted
footballer of his generation."
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson added: "His ability was an inspiration to
everyone who loves football."
The Premier League said there will be a minute's silence before each game
this weekend. Manchester United players will wear black armbands.
Best was told never to drink again after his liver transplant, but he went
back to his old ways and was regularly seen at pubs.
"Unfortunately there is no solution to alcohol, you can't make it go away,"
Best wrote in a recent update to his second autobiography "Blessed." "Drink is
the only opponent I've been unable to beat."
Denis Law, a former Manchester United teammate, was at Best's bedside all
night.
"From 1964 to 1969, he was the best player in the country," Law said. "It's
sad as hell, but I don't think we saw the best of him. I think he went on the
blink at a time when he could have got even better."
In his prime, Best was a version of Diego Maradona and David Beckham rolled
into one. Like Maradona, he could dribble his way to magnificent goals. Like
Beckham, his showbiz elan often overshadowed his ability.
Best humiliated defenders and frustrated coaches. He scored 180 goals in 465
appearances for United, helping the team win the 1968 European Cup. He also
played in the North American Soccer League, scoring 54 goals in 139 games for
the Los Angeles Aztecs, Fort Lauderdale Strikers and San Jose Earthquakes.
"Everyone has their own opinion about football and their favorite players,"
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said. "But in terms of British players,
you would find it difficult to think of anyone better."
Best was only 17 when he began thrilling fans at United. Slightly built but
with amazing balance and devastating speed, Best would leave defenders tackling
thin air.
Antonio Simoes, Best's coach at San Jose, recalled that during training Best
would dribble past a handful of teammates and burst out laughing.
"It was all easy for him," the coach said. "But that irreverence was the
essence of his talent. He played with joy. Soccer wasn't a job, it was
entertainment."
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