http://www.manutd.com/news/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=278899
Best Tributes: Fergie salutes courageous George
25/11/05 4:00 PM
Fergie Pays Tribute To A United Legend
Sir Alex Ferguson has paid tribute to the late George Best,
insisting he was perfection personified on the football pitch.
The Reds boss recalled some of Best's most memorable moments
in a United shirt and also provided an insight into George Best the person.
Firstly Sir Alex it's a sad day for George's family, friend
and everyone connected to Manchester United...
"Yes, it's a very sad day for everyone at Manchester United
and we all pass on our deepest sympathy to his family.
Even though we expected the news you still felt that suddenness
and that taking away of something; that's felt by everyone at the club.
Without question he was an incredibly talented, gifted and courageous player
for Manchester United. When he came onto the scene, I think he carried
every young person's dream by the way he played and performed
on the football stage. My most vivid memory of him is when he played
for Northern Ireland against Scotland at Windsor Park [in 1967].
He was up against a very talented attacking full-back called Tommy Gemmell
and he was just incredible against him; all the Scottish people
were saying 'God almighty, who is this.' The thing that flummoxed Tommy
that day was the way that George kept tackling him.
He was such a brave player and a great tackler
- he could do almost everything."
How would you sum up the impact he had on Manchester United?
"Well, his pivotal moment won us the European Cup [in '68]
when he rounded the goalkeeper and scored the second goal
[in the final against Benfica]. The matches against Madrid
and against Benfica that season were pivotal moments
which helped a very good team become a great team.
George produced performances which were breathtaking
and single-handedly won us games - that sums up the impact he made
on Manchester United. Alongside Denis Law, Bobby Charlton
and Nobby Stiles he was just phenomenal. But I think even they would
agree that he was the player that took them into greatness.
He raised the bar to such a level of skill, artistry and courage
that even they couldn't quite believe that a young player could do that."
Do you think we'll ever see a player like George again?
"We hope so because that type of player makes everyone's life
happier and makes you believe in football. It may not happen
but we'll have the memory of George to live with.
We certainly hope Manchester United can produce a player like George again
and I know all the fans would love to see that."
What was he like as a person?
"He was a lovely man and actually quite a shy lad.
You could see he was vulnerable to all the excesses of life
in the sense of he was quiet and shy. You could see he could be exploited
and understand how his life was in that respect. But he should be
remembered for his football. We're all vulnerable and have weaknesses
of different types. None of us are perfect but he was perfect
on the football pitch. His production of skill and artistry,
and his ability to beat men and score goals was fantastic.
Someone said to me he didn't quite fulfil his potential
at Manchester United because he finished at 26 and his best years
were lost to him. But when you look at his record - 474 games, 180 goals -
some of the greatest players in our contry don't even match that
or come anywhere near that. He hardly missed a game, played with injuries
and got kicked to shreds by guys like Norman Hunter and Tommy Smith.
But he always wanted the ball. After he was fouled he'd get up
and say 'give me the ball' - it was unbelievable to find a lad like that.
Everyone in the country will recognise him with a minute's silence
this weekend - I think that's wonderful. He deserves it and so does the game."
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Report by Gemma Thompson.
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