Rebel United: George Best was 'better than Pele and Diego Maradona' - but football was less of a priority for Man Utd's 'fifth Beatle'

Best was at the height of his career in '69. A year earlier, he had led United to their first European Cup, was the top scorer in England and won the Ballon d'Or.

But as prolific as Best was a producing spectacular dribbles, countless goals and important titles on the pitch, he was just as prominent when it came to partying, drinking and undertaking in affairs off it. At the time, his dazzling double-life as a football star and bon vivant was going well – but it would soon come to an end.

Best was born in Belfast in 1946 and grew up in a working-class neighbourhood. When he was 15 years old, he was discovered by Manchester United scout Bob Bishop, who wrote to the club's manager, Matt Busby: "I think I've found a genius."

Busby was in the process of building his second great team in Manchester. The first had been torn apart far too early by the tragic Munich air disaster of 1958, but the second achieved greatness. Best made his debut for United in 1963 at the age of 17 and quickly formed the most dangerous attack in the country alongside Denis Law and Bobby Charlton. Dubbed 'The Holy Trinity', Best, Law and Charlton have since been immortalised as statues outside Old Trafford.

United won the league in 1965 and 1967 before, in 1968 – exactly 10 years after Munich – they won their long-awaited first European Cup. Best put United ahead in extra-time in the final against Benfica, which ended in a 4-1 win for Busby's side.

Best had long been more than just a footballer. His sporting achievements, coupled with his rebellious lifestyle, infamous escapades, long hair and catchphrases, exuded a very special magic. He was one of the world's first football celebrities, 'the fifth Beatle', a true sensation. Emerging from the somewhat socially rigid early-1960s, he, like many rockstars, stood for the dawn of a new era.

"If you gave me the choice between scoring a goal from 40 yards at Anfield or going to bed with Miss World, it would be a tough decision," Best once said. "Luckily, I've done both!" 

Another of his memorable one-liners went: "I spent most of my money on alcohol, women and fast cars. The rest I just squandered!"

Best's rise was rapid, but so was his decline. The European Cup victory proved to be his last major title, as his priorities shifted further and further away from sport and into nightlife. Far too early in his career, football became a secondary concern for Best despite his ridiculous levels of talent.

"The best I've ever seen," said Pele of the Northern Ireland international; Best replied that this praise was the "highest honour of his life".

Best would repeatedly turn up drunk for training, and in 1972, United coach Tommy Docherty suspended him. Two years later, at the age of just 27, Best played his final game for United. He then spent 10 years playing for various lower-league teams in England and the United States, with the spotlight now focused on his life off the pitch.

Best's gambling addiction drove him into financial ruin, while his alcohol addiction ruined his health. His marriage failed, as did his ventures as the owner of nightclubs and fashion boutiques. He even spent the Christmas of 1984 in prison after driving while intoxicated before getting into an altercation with a police officer.

In 2002, he received a liver transplant, but continued to drink, and in November 2005, Best died of multiple organ failure at the age of just 57. Around 100,000 people made the pilgrimage to his funeral in Belfast, where the eulogy was given by the then-British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. In Manchester and in his hometown, people still say today: "[Diego] Maradona good, Pele better, George Best."