Best shows off his 1968 European Player of the Year award. Credit: PA
Today marks nine years since the passing of George Best, the most talented British footballer of his generation who passed away at the age of 59 in 2005 after battling alcohol addiction.
Best played the majority of his illustrious career as a winger for Manchester United, and represented Northern Ireland on 37 occasions.
He won the 1968 European Cup with United and was crowned European Footballer of the Year and Football Writers' Player of the Year in the same campaign.
Such was Best's charm and boyish good looks, he became one of the first celebrity footballers, and was nicknamed "El Beatle" because of the hysteria surrounding himself and the Beatles when paraded in front of female fans.
Unfortunately, Best's playboy lifestyle brought with it a string of off-the-field problems.
He was imprisoned for 12 weeks in 1984 after being convicted of drink-driving and assaulting a policeman, and was arrested after breaking former Wife Alex's arm on Boxing Day in 2003, leaving her with a black eye and bruised lip.
Here, we take a look at some of the more iconic photos from his career.
Ladies man Best poses at a Manchester fashion show in September 1966. Credit: PABest celebrates winning the league with Man United team-mates in May 1967. Credit: PAPictured here coming out of his sports car in July 1967. Credit: PABest, the greatest British player of his generation, warms up for a match in 1967. Credit: PABest in action during the Manchester derby in March 1968. Credit: PABest shows off his 1967/68 Football writers' Players of the Year award off with manager Matt Busby. Credit: PACrazed fans wave him off at Euston station in May 1968. Credit: PABest begins pre-season training at Salford in July 1969. Credit: PABest shows off his 1968 European Footballer of the Year award alongisde a journalist, Bobby Charlton, Denis Law and Matt Busby. Credit: PABest, bottom right, lines up with United's 1968 European Cup winning side for Pat Crerand's testimonial. Credit: PABest bamboozles a Middlesbrough defender in the 1971 FA Cup quarter-final. Credit: PABest poses with four models at a London fashion show he organised in 1972. Credit: PAPosing with wige Angie and son Callum in September 1981. Credit: PABest holds his 1968 European Footballer of the Year award in 2003, two years before his passing, as he prepared to auction it off for sale. Credit: PA
