George Best was born May 22, 1946 in a council estate in East Belfast, Northern Ireland. The oldest of four children, George would play soccer every day with his friends on the pavement in front of their modest homes. The surface was too rough for a proper ball, so they made their own from rags.

 George Best was discovered in Belfast by Manchester United Scout Bob Bishop aged 15.  He was then given a trial and signed up by chief scout Joe Armstrong in  He turned professional and made his debut for Manchester United in 1963.

 During his early years at Old Trafford, Best was a shy teenager who passed his free time in snooker halls.  However he later became known for his long hair, good looks and extravagant celebrity lifestyle

 Signed :01 Aug 1963  Debut :14 Sept 1963  Goals total :179  Appearances total :470  Position: Forward  Left United :02 Jan 1974  Regarded as a true football legend for his speed, balance, vision, superb close control and the ability to create chances and score from seemingly impossible situations

 Best married Angela MacDonald-Janes on 24 January 1978 in Las Vegas  Their son, Calum, was born in 1981  They separated the following year and divorced in 1986  He married Alex Pursey in 1995 in Kensington and Chelsea, London. They divorced in 2004; they had no children.  He is reported to have had two daughters by other women

 Best suffered from alcoholism for most of his adult life, leading to numerous controversies and, eventually, his death.

 In one of his autobiographies Best admits that in 1981, while playing in the United States that he stole money from the handbag of a woman he did not know in order to fund a drinking session.  In 1984, Best received a three- month prison sentence for drunk driving, assaulting a police officer  He then recieved another in2004 and was banned from driving for 20 months. "We were sitting in a bar on the beach, and when she got up to go to the toilet I leaned over and took all the money she had in her bag.“

 Best was diagnosed with severe liver damage in March  In August 2002, he had a successful liver transplant.  The transplant was performed on the NHS, a decision which was controversial due to Best's alcoholism.  The controversy started again in 2003 when he was seen openly drinking white wine spritzers.

 All these health problems did not stop him and he continued to drink  On 3 October 2005 Best was admitted to intensive care suffering from a kidney infection  On 27 October, newspapers stated that Best was close to death and had sent a farewell message to his loved ones.

 On 20 November the British tabloid News of the World published a picture of Best at his own request, showing him in his hospital bed, along with what was reported to be his final message:  "Don't die like me". “Don’t die like me!”

Outside Old Trafford Fans gathered outside his home Airport named after him

“I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered.”

 Would you like to be famous? Why/why not?  What do you think would be the hardest part of being famous?  Can you think of any other examples of celebrities who have been really famous and have ended up ill/dead due to their lifestyle?  In your opinion why do so many celebrities turn to alcohol and drugs?  Do you think it is better to become famous when you are young or a little older? Why?