adminLONDON. — Lionel Messi reminds me of George Best, the way he would run with the ball tight to his foot. Tap, tap, tap. He would take the ball up to defenders like that, and then swivel and go past them. There were so many great players in that Manchester United team but, even then, George stood tall. He was fresh off the boat and straight into the first team. He didn’t really bother with youth football.
I can remember reading the account by Harry Gregg, Manchester United’s goalkeeper, of the first time he met George.
Great man, Harry – pulled semi-conscious injured team-mates out of a burning plane on the runway at Munich. That’s bravery.
These days a midfielder receives the ball with a man marking him and we say he’s brave.
Harry was also a hard man who almost used to bully opponents. Not the sort of chap that a young kid fresh over from Belfast should be messing with.
The first training session George had at United, he got the ball, ripped through the defence and made to shoot. Gregg went one way, and George casually took the ball past him and rolled it into the net. Next attack, the same thing happened. ‘Do that to me again, son,’ Harry warned, from his position on the seat of his pants, ‘and you won’t be playing tomorrow.’ Yet George just laughed it off. – Mailonline.
Online Reporter