What they said about George
"I think I've found a genius." - Bob Bishop's message to Matt Busby after the United scout had spotted the 15-year-old Best playing in Belfast.
"Don't coach him - he's a genius." - Busby's advice to his staff after watching Best for the first time.
Graham Williams: "Will you stand still for a minute so I can look at your face?"
Best: "Why?"
Williams: "Because all I've ever seen of you is your arse disappearing down the touchline."
- Williams, a West Bromwich Albion full-back, upon meeting Best several years after attempting to mark him on his debut.
"It was a very simple team talk. All I used to say was: 'Whenever possible, give the ball to George.'" - Busby
"We had lost 5-1 to Scotland at Hampden Park and I needed to bring in a couple of players. Harry Gregg said to me: 'There is a boy at Manchester - play him'. I did, and he was superb. Against Uruguay he strolled around the pitch like a ballet dancer. He was the best I've seen. A great wee lad." - Bertie Peacock, Northern Ireland manager when Best made his debut in 1962.
"I had him when he was 21. He fascinated me. Even watching him in training - his movement, his skill, and he did it all so quickly. In that 1967 match against Scotland his virtuoso performance was the greatest I've ever watched - he controlled the game and had spectators rising from their seats every time he moved on to the ball." - Billy Bingham, former Northern Ireland manager.
"Unquestionably the greatest. There was simply nobody to compare with him." - Alex Ferguson
"George Best." - Pele, in 1982, when asked who was the greatest player of all time.
"The only tragedy George Best has to confront is that he will never know how good he could have been." - Michael Parkinson, the chat show host and sports columnist.
In his own words
"I was born with a great gift and sometimes with that comes a destructive streak. Just as I wanted to outdo everyone when I played, I had to outdo everyone when we were out on the town."
"It all went wrong with football, the thing I loved most of all, and from there my life slowly fell apart."
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered."