ALL THE BEST GEORGE

George Best, one of the greatest footballers never to play in a FIFA World Cup finals, was at time of writing desperately ill in a London hospital, after decades of alcoholism and recent liver transplant surgery.

He spent the best part of his 20-year career at Manchester United, not my favourite team, but even a City fan has to acknowledge his genius. He could embarrass (truly embarrass) international defenders with his fantastic ball control, leaving them flailing at thin air as he sped off down the pitch.

As far as I can tell, he hardly did any training - at least not once he hit the nightclub circuit - it was a truly natural talent.

He was probably the first footballer to achieve pop star levels of fame, earning the nickname 'The Fifth Beatle' during the height of his career in the late 1960s

I am old enough (and lucky enough) to have seen him play once for Fulham against Southampton at The Dell, in the old Second Divison in the late 1970s. He managed to get himself sent off after about 10 minutes, thus robbing me of the chance of a better Best anecdote.

He's now in the Cromwell Hospital in west London, a few miles from the NHS hospital where a college friend of mine died of alcohol-related liver failure five years ago.

George is from Belfast in Northern Ireland, where a wry sense of humour is not only appreciated, but part of the culture.

He wrote his own epitaph years ago, when he was reported as saying: "I spent most of my money on birds, booze, and fast cars; the rest I squandered."