Remembering George Best 10 Years On: 10 of Manchester United Hero's Top Moments

There was never any doubting the brilliance of George Best.

From the time he was discovered by Manchester United at age 15, Best was already marked for greatness. “I think I’ve found you a genius,” United scout Bob Bishop famously told manager Matt Busby at the time (h/t Richard Beech of the Daily Mirror).

And in his pomp, none were greater than the Northern Irishman. Pele, a man never short on accolades himself, once called Best "the greatest player in the world" (h/t ManUtd.com).

Wednesday marks 10 years since Best died, and while his off-the-pitch problems are well known, we prefer to mark the anniversary with a list of 10 of his greatest moments.

Keep reading for the full list and leave your favourite moments in the comments.

First League Title

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Manchester United won the league title in 1964-65 for the first time since the tragic Munich air disaster. Best, who wouldn't turn 19 until May 1965, was in his first full season as a regular.

At the tender age of 18, the Northern Ireland winger scored 10 league goals (h/t Football-history.net). With that, a star was born.

Breakthrough vs. Benfica

Associated Press

Best became a superstar overnight in 1966 as Manchester United beat Benfica in the second leg of the European Cup quarter-finals on March 9.

Holding a 3-2 lead from the first leg, United needed only a draw to advance. But as Michael Terry notes at Vice Sports, European away games were a much different prospect in the 1960s than they are today:

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In the 1960s, away games were almost impossible to win. The travel was far more taxing, the refereeing far more biased, and thus Busby instructed his players to remain cautious and try to preserve the slim one goal advantage that carried over from the first leg in Manchester.

"

United manager Matt Busby famously instructed his team to "keep it tight," but Best had other ideas. The winger scored twice in the opening 13 minutes and inspired a memorable 5-1 win in Lisbon. 

After the game, the Portuguese press dubbed Best the "fifth Beatle" (h/t the Independent), and Best—being his flamboyant self—wore a sombrero on the trip home.

European Cup Title

Manchester United became the first English team to win the European Cup in 1968. Best was a key contributor, especially in the final.

The match was tied 1-1 after regular time, but Best scored a brilliant solo goal to give United the lead in the 92nd minute. The Red Devils went on to win 4-1.

Best was still just 22 at the time.

Ballon D'Or Winner

VICTOR BOYTON/Associated Press

Although he was only 22, that 1967-68 season marked the pinnacle of Best's career.

After leading Manchester United to the European Cup title, Best won the Ballon d'Or as the top footballer in Europe. He was also the youngest player to win the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award.

From that point on, Best's career entered a long, but steady, period of decline—although, as we'll see, a few brilliant moments remained.

Six Goals vs. Northampton Town

In February 1970, George Best set a Manchester United post-war record with six goals in a single match.

His unfortunate victims were Northampton Town in an FA Cup fifth-round match. United won 8-2.

Lobbed Goal vs. Tottenham

Best produced quite a few highlights in 1971, as we'll see in the coming slides. The first one we'll include here is his lobbed strike against Tottenham Hotspur.

The goal displayed Best's outstanding control, concentration and technique. Even though five Tottenham players stood between him and the goal, he had no problem beating all five with a perfect, yet unexpected, shot.

Dribble and Goal vs. Sheffield United

While his goalscoring abilities were impressive, Best's greatest strength was his dribbling. Whenever he had the ball at his feet, anything could happen.

In this clip, we see Best blowing past defenders brilliantly before firing in a superb shot against Sheffield United in 1971.

Cheeky Disallowed Goal

If you ever need to see an indication of just how confident Best was, be sure to watch this clip from a 1971 match between England and Best's Northern Ireland.

The goal was ruled out, but it showcases the player's supreme self-belief—as well as his eye-catching skills.

Wonder-Goal for San Jose Earthquakes

Best played in the United States later in his career, featuring for the San Jose Earthquakes of the North American Soccer League from 1980 to 1982.

On July 22, 1981, he scored this wonder-goal against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

The commentary on American television bordered on the comical—"That is the greatest soccer goal I have ever seen!"—but even the uninitiated had to admire Best's virtuosity on the ball.

Immortality

PAUL THOMAS/Associated Press

Best died in 2005, but his legend lives on. In 2008, Manchester United unveiled a statue of the "Holy Trinity"—Best and former team-mates Denis Law and Bobby Charlton.

The trio helped United become the first English club to win the European Cup in 1968, and together they will be revered forever by the club's legions of fans.

The artwork stands outside Old Trafford and was unveiled 40 years to the day after that European Cup triumph.