George Best will be honoured with the 2002 Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in recognition of his impact on the world of football. The Northern Ireland international was the first international footballing superstar, winning the European Cup with Manchester United and being nicknamed The Fifth Beatle. Best won the Footballer of the Year award in 1968 together with the European Player of the Year trophy.
Best, who is recovering from a liver transplant operation, revealed: "I feel I achieved everything I dreamed of as a child. I also feel I played in the best team in Europe if not the world with some very special players. The fact that I didn't play in a World Cup was compensated by the fact that I played for Manchester United.
He paid tribute to his former United manager, the legendary Sir Matt Busby. He added: "Sir Matt was the biggest influence in my life not only as a manager but as a friend."
Filed by Shane Murray
