Got to say as entertainers go Stan Bowles, Tony Currie and Frank Worthington were right up there .. all of them very gifted.
Haven't seen Stuart Elliott mentioned. I know he was a winger, but very few of our strikers where better goal scorers than him.
I read a lot about him but never saw him play "A showman who liked to entertain the crowd, he was able to cut the ball with sufficient spin that it would roll towards an opponent only to stop and then return to him as though on a string. He was also adept at back heeling penalty kicks into the goal.[45] He would rarely track back and defend however, and antics were sometimes criticised as "unsportsman-like". On one occasion, 2–1 up against Arsenal with 5 minutes to go, he dribbled the ball into The Gunners' penalty area before putting his foot on it, pretending to comb his hair while looking at his watch. Other examples include mocking opposition full-backs by playing one-twos with the corner flag, literally sitting on the ball to torment defenders who couldn't dispossess him, and teasing a beaten goalkeeper by putting his foot on the ball on the goal line. ... While playing for Sunderland, Shackleton played cricket for Wearmouth Colliery and for Northumberland in the 1948 Minor Counties Championship. His genius and humour was also evident on the cricket field. At Wearmouth CCC he would entertain the crowd by pretending to miss slip catches, then looking behind him as if the ball had gone to the boundary, before producing the ball from his pocket." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Len_Shackleton
Saw him play at Leeds when he pulled off a bit of skill which had Leeds fans and some of their players applauding. Don't think his drinking affected his play at his peak if you have heard what Mike Summerbee said about one Derby game.
He got to his peak years. Cut them short because of his drinking. As one United player said, if George had looked like Paddy Crerand he would have played until he was 50. By all accounts he was a good trainer and naturally fit.
If you mean by being alive then yes he got to his peak years. If you mean by actually playing regularly and training then no he didnt.
He got to his peak, but not for as long as he should have done. Enjoyed most of his life more than most of us do. Seemed unfair that such a good footballer was good-looking as well. Not often feel envious but seeing Bestie getting into an Ex type Jaguar with then girlfriend, the reigning Miss World did raise a slight bit. Someone said that after Best had gone that only left one person he could yhink of who had shagged two reigning Miss World's- Bruce Forsyth. Plenty of good footballers have enjoyed a drink or more, Bremner, Bobby Moore, Jim Baxter, Garrinchia... Lots of alcoholics have done sod all as well.
Excellent when one on one with the keeper , the ball 99% would be in the net . Edge of the box free kicks again would normally make the keeper work . Recall a game against Blackpool and Keith hit the winner from a edge of the box free kick . Alan Ball was their player manager , he fell to his knees and punched the ground with a mixture of anger despair and envy . Get in .