Soccer great George Best, dogged by alcohol-driven health problems for years, was back in hospital in Northern Ireland on Monday believed to be suffering from pneumonia. A spokeswoman for Belfast City Hospital said that the ex-Manchester United and Northern Ireland star had requested that no information be released about his condition. But Best was said to be responding to treatment, according to sources quoted by local news media.
Best, 54, was admitted to the hospital on Friday night, apparently after experiencing breathing difficulties, The Belfast Telegraph reported. Last March he was rushed to hospital with liver problems and medical authorities advised him to stay off alcohol forever.
With his wife Alex, he moved to a new £200,000 home near the eastern fishing port of Portavogie in Northern Ireland.
Best, one of the greatest players the world has ever seen and a member of the Manchester United team that won the English League title in 1965 and 1967 and the European Cup in 1968, now works as a commentator for Sky TV.
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
