George Best was the son of a Belfast shipbuilder, who starting kicking a ball in the terraces near the ship yard, before becoming one of the Greatest Footballers never to play in the World Cup.

Belfast Boy

On 22 May 1946 Dickie and Ann Best had a new son George. Dickie was a shipbuilder at Belfast's famous Harland and Wolffe shipyard and the cranes towered over the terraces when the new son grew up, took his first step, kicked his first football and scored his first goal. In 1961 while still attending Lisnasharragh School he was spotted by a scout for Matt Busby's Manchester United and taken to Manchester, where he was given an office job near Old Trafford.

Manchester's Golden Boy

George signed porfessional forms for Manchester United in 1963 and made his first team debut in September 1963 against West Bromwich Albion. He was to go on to make 367 appearances for the club. He was joining a front line that included Bobby Charlton and Dennis Law, joining the first choice strikers for England and Scotland.

In 1964 at Vetch Field, Swansea he made his international debut for Northern Ireland. Another young debutant Pat Jennings appeared in goal on that sodden pitch. One was to go on to be the most capped Northern Irish international the other was to fail to meet his full potential.