Career highlights.
Benfica 1, Manchester United 5, 1966 European Cup quarter-final, second leg
Famously, Matt Busby's instruction to his team before the game was to "keep it tight" for the first 20 minutes - after 12 minutes Best had scored twice. "You obviously weren't listening," the manager told the player. United had won the first leg 3-2 at Old Trafford but faced a Benfica side who had never lost at home in European competition and had in their ranks Eusebio, who was presented with the European Footballer of the Year trophy before kick-off. However, the Portuguese champions could not cope with Best, who scored first with a header and then beat three men before getting his second.
Northern Ireland 1, Scotland 0, 1967 Home Internationals
Of his 37 appearances for his country, this was undoubtedly his finest: his form that October day was mesmerising. "I felt the buzz that day, felt it was one of those occasions when I could try almost anything and expect to get away with it," he said of the game. "It's a feeling you only get perhaps once or twice in a season, but I felt it that day, and every time I got the ball I ran straight at their defence. Any victory for us was special, and the only mystery is how we only won 1-0," he said. "But at least I had the satisfaction of making the winner for Dave Clements. People in Ireland still talk about that game, including my dad."
Northampton Town 2, Manchester United 8/1970 FA Cup fifth round
"The closest I got to him was when we shook hands at the end of the game," said Northampton's Ray Fairfax, who had the misfortune to be marking Best the day he scored six goals in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Best single-handedly destroyed the fourth division side that had harboured giant-killing notions.