George Best is an athlete.
In sports , dribbling is maneuvering of a ball by a single player while moving in a given direction , avoiding defenders ' attempts to intercept the ball . George Best ( 22 May 1946 -- 25 November 2005 ) was a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a winger for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team . In 1968 , he won the European Cup with Manchester United , and was named the European Footballer of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year . Best was one of the first celebrity footballers , earning the nickname `` El Beatle '' in 1966 , but his subsequent extravagant lifestyle led to various problems , most notably alcoholism , which he suffered from for the rest of his life .