Fans and former team-mates lead tributes to 'genius' Northern Ireland icon George Best

Best is widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all-time – he won the Ballon d’Or in 1968 to officially recognise his status as the best that year – having produced dazzling displays for both Manchester United and Northern Ireland.

He scored 181 goals in 474 appearances across all competitions for United, helping the Red Devils secure both domestic and European glory.

Described as “the greatest player to ever pull on the green shirt of Northern Ireland”, Best netted nine times across his 37 international matches with a victory over Scotland at Windsor Park in October 1967 becoming known as ‘the George Best game’.

He sadly passed away aged 59 in November 2005, but his legacy lives on, both at home and further afield.

John White, the Branch Secretary at Carryduff Manchester United Supporters' Club, grew up idolising Best, a Belfast boy who developed into a superstar at Old Trafford.

"George Best was my hero when I was growing up and kicking football on the streets of the Short Strand in east Belfast during the late 1960s and early 1970s, not too far from where George was born,” said White. “Close to my home in Harper Street, stood the mighty Samson & Goliath, two huge towering yellow cranes that almost reached the sky at the famous Harland & Wolff Shipyard where my dad worked, and the birthplace of RMS Titanic.

“The Fifth Beatle, although I will always refer to him as The Belfast Boy, is celebrating his 80th birthday in Heaven.

“I truly idolised Georgie Best, I still do, and I can never thank him enough for helping me through the dark days of The Troubles in Northern Ireland.

“’To me, a genius is someone with a brilliant mind who has had great accomplishments in a challenging field, and changed the world in some meaningful way. As vague as this definition may seem, the essence of genius is limitless. There appear to be no bounds to what geniuses can accomplish. To define it much further, is to limit something that is supposed to be limitless.’ (I. C. Robledo).

"George Best was a genius”.

For Gerry Armstrong, who was around eight years younger than Best, it was a similar situation as he was inspired by Best’s exploits to forge his own career in the game, which would ultimately include starring at two World Cups for Northern Ireland.

Armstrong made his international debut in 1977, playing alongside boyhood hero Best – turning his dream into reality.

"You only have to look at the footage of him and what he did 30, 40 years ago,” Armstrong told Northern Ireland’s social media accounts. “He was amazing 30 or 40 years ago, but when you see him in his prime, there was nobody that could touch him.

"He was the best player in the world when I was growing up and when I made my debut for Northern Ireland in 1977, I got the best surprise of my life the night before when Danny Blanchflower told me I was going to be playing.

"He told me I was playing up front with George...he’s our hero and that was the dream for me, I couldn’t believe I was playing with him, what a player.

"We all talk about players and their qualities and I talk about Maradona being the best player I played against, and I talk about George being the best player I played with.

"George could do it all – head a ball, left foot, right foot, dribbling, work ethic, he wanted the ball so much he would chase everybody and he would work hard.

"There was no aspect of the game he couldn’t do and he was a manager’s dream...he scored goals but he created goals for others too.

"He was entertainment value for the crowd, they wanted him to get on the ball and show how good he was.”