George Best factfile

1963-1974 Manchester United [Images] (361 league appearances; 136 league goals)
1975 Stockport County, Los Angeles Aztecs, Cork Celtic
1976 Fulham
1978 Fort Lauderdale Strikers
1979 Hibernian
1980 San Jose Earthquakes
1983-1984 Bournemouth

Honours: European Cup (Manchester United 1968), League championship (Manchester United 1964-65, 1966-67), English Footballer of the Year (1968), European Footballer of the Year (1968) Northern Ireland: 37 caps 1964-1977; 9 goals

1961 - Arrives in England [Images] to train with Manchester United.
1963 - September: makes debut for Manchester United as winger against West Bromwich Albion, aged 17.
1964 - Makes international debut for Northern Ireland against Wales after only 15 league games for United.
1965 - Part of United's league championship-winning side.
1966 - Spearheads United's 5-1 European Cup quarter-final victory over Benfica in Lisbon. Christened "El Beatle".
1967 - Wins league for second time in three seasons.
1968 - United beat Benfica 4-1 to win European Cup. Scores great individual goal in final at Wembley. Voted English Footballer of the Year and European Footballer of the Year.
1970 - Becomes United's top individual scorer in one match, scoring six in an 8-2 victory against Northampton Town in an FA Cup fifth round tie.
1972 - Announces retirement from soccer at age 26.
1973 - Makes brief comeback with Manchester United.
1974 - Transfer-listed by United in January. Plays handful of games for lowly Dunstable Town.
1975 - FIFA slap a worldwide ban on Best, then overturn it a day later. Loaned to Stockport County, scores twice in three league matches. Joins Los Angeles Aztecs and then Cork Celtic.
1976 - Joins Fulham, then in the old second division, scoring eight times in 42 league games.
1977 - Wins final cap for Northern Ireland
1978 - Joins Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Marries first wife Angela Macdonald-James. At request of the English FA, Best is again banned by FIFA following a contract dispute with Fulham. Ban overturned six months later.
1979 - Plays for Scottish side Hibernian.
1980 - Signs for San Jose Earthquake. Seeks treatment for alcoholism.
1982 - Declared bankrupt.
1983 - Plays five matches for Bournemouth, the last of his professional career, aged 37.
1984 - Sentenced to 12 weeks in prison for drink driving and assaulting a police officer. Serves eight weeks in jail. ormally divorces wife Angie. The couple have one son, Calum, a model.
1985 - Begins second career as television pundit and after-dinner speaker.
1992 - Discharged from bankruptcy.
1995 - Marries again, to Alex Pursey, a former air hostess.
2000 - Named in FIFA's Soccer Hall of Fame. Hospitalised with liver problems caused by years of excessive drinking.
2002 - July: Has successful liver transplant.
2003 - September: Separates from wife Alex after pictures show George drinking heavily again and media reports of epeated infidelities.
2004 - Banned from driving for 20 months and fined for drink driving. Formally divorced by Alex.
2005 - October: Admitted to Cromwell Hospital after developing a kidney infection and spends three weeks in intensive care. Mid-November - His condition deteriorates and he dies at the hospital on November 25.

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