George Best: How is the legendary footballer remembered 20 years after his death?

Maradona is good, Pele is better, George Best.

It’s a famous saying to judge three of the best footballers of the 20th century.

On November 25, it will be 20 years since George Best’s death, and almost 60 years since he was at the height of his powers.

He was a football genius, one of the first football stars, but his life away from the game ensured that he appeared on the front pages of newspapers, as well as the back.

In fact, his fame off the pitch was such that he was dubbed “the fifth Beatle” by the Portuguese press, and by his mid-twenties his celebrity lifestyle began to outpace football on a downward spiral that would never be reversed.

But this does not detract from the football genius.

A Manchester United legend, he was a key player when the team won the European Cup for the first time in 1968, leading them to the Ballon d’Or that year, as well as two league titles.

Regarded as the most famous figure in Northern Ireland, where he remains hugely popular to this day, Best is also considered one of the greatest players never to appear in a World Cup.

Whether it was his performance in the European Cup against Benfica, United’s hat-trick in the FA Cup, or the infamous ‘goal’ against England, where he kicked the ball out of Peter Shilton’s hands and scored before the goal was eventually disallowed – Best’s genius on the pitch was evident in an era of greatness.

After 11 years at Old Trafford, Best’s time at the top was coming to an end when he was 28. The final years of his career were filled with short spells around the world and in the lower leagues.

He was still a crowd-puller, but the magic had faded.

As former Northern Ireland defender John O’Neill said: “He was one of the best players to ever play the game. Unfortunately he didn’t play long enough.”