George Best: Manchester United's Greatest Genius

Today's version of the modern era's superstar player would be the face of David Beckham, who, as of writing, is playing badly with his estranged club, the world-renowned Real Madrid. Slated to join LA galaxy on a purported five year deal on a whopping US$250 million dollars, Beckham encapsulates the modern day version of a soccer superstar: Along with his Hollywood-style status and his attention-grabbing looks, it is hard to find another soccer player with that much financial and image clout as him.

Back in the 1960s, however, an equally attractive, and far more skilful player became the world's first megastar in the soccer world, in the shape of a man who would soon became the personification of his surname, George Best.

George Best, The Boy From Belfast

George Best was born in Belfast, Ireland, in 22 May 1946. As a local lad, he had played for Glentoran, but was subsequently rejected because of his slight, scrawny frame. It was a rejection that his local club would come to regret, as Manchester United found out, to their delight and glee.

In stepped the Manchester United chief scout, Joe Armstrong, who, upon chancing upon Best's sublime skills when he was 15, telegraphed back to then Manchester United manager, Sir Matt Busby: "I think I found you a genius".

And so it was, that Best's intricate relationship with the world's most recognizable football club was formed.

The Golden Years (1963-1974)

Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, George Best the winger captivated the world with his amazing array of skills.

Though small in stature (Roughly 1.72metres tall and weighing 65kg), hidden beneath his slight frame was a deceptively powerful and unfathomable energy. Able to dribble past the tightest of defenses, George Best's amazing arsenal of skills were a sight to behold.

While speed and power were necessary requisites for any fledging winger, George Best also possessed an inane ability to keep the ball close to his feet while dribbling at breakneck speed. It was, as one observer pointed out, "as if he had the ball glued to his feet."

Today's football players seem to have the knack of falling down in from of the referee from the slightest of touches by the opposing defender (or even when the opposing defender doesn't touch them), thanks to the inspired dives of now-retired French footballer, David Ginola. Best, however, was a different breed of footballer.

Given the fact that players in his era did not enjoy the same level of protection, George Best had to contend with defenders who would not hesitate to chop down any player who dared so far as brush past them. Yet Best ran past them, as if they didn't exist.

Scoring Goals

Besides his wide-ranging skills, Best also had the knack of scoring goals. In a career spanning 466 games, he tucked in 178 goals, an almost 1: 3 game to goal ratio, which, by all counts is a great ratio even for an out-and-out striker, let alone a winger.

Goals aside, Best, along with some of the greatest players in Manchester United during his time (Think Denis Law, Bobby Charlton and Co.), dominated the domestic scene, and won a Champions League Cup in the process.

Best was the nucleus of a side that was arguably the best Manchester United team that ever graced Old Trafford.

Best: An Eternal Legacy

When Best left Old Trafford, he left behind a legacy that even today, people would still remember.

Not only did he herald a new era for Manchester United, he was the first football superstar. Dubbed "the fifth Beatle", he was the constant source of news for the media, and was quite a media darling as well.

He will be remembered as one of the greatest footballers in modern times.