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By Richard Purden

Best was always keen to reflect on his time at Hibernian. He joined Hibs in 1979 and put 20,000 on the gate for his home debut against Partick Thistle in 1979.

To this day fans at Easter Road still reflect on Best’s short tenure at the club when Scotland managed to get a glimpse of the football icon. Away gates would double at the announcement of Best on the team sheet and he was paid a substantial £2,000 per game, an astonishing sum for an SPL club in the ’70s.

He didn’t disappoint scoring at his away debut on November 24, 1979 against St. Mirren.

Hibs chairman Rod Petrie led the tributes. H said: “George was still a bright enough star to put thousands on the gates when he played for Hibernian in Scotland and his quality still shone. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.” George’s team mate Jackie McNamara added: “His signing gave the club a massive lift and made a big difference to the team.

“George was such a nice, charming man and very popular with all the players. He had no airs or graces about him.”

Bill McMurdo is one of the biggest movers in Scottish football and managed Best’s career for 12 years. McMurdo even put Best up at his own home to help keep him out of the limelight before match days.

He said: “He liked Scotland a lot and stayed here for a couple of years. He lived with me at my house in Uddingston and we managed to keep a fairly low-profile.

“It kept him out of the road of drink for a while. Not a lot of people know it but George’s grandfather was from Easterhouse and these days he would have qualified to play for Scotland.

“In the end though he moved back to London and all the pitfalls. There was just too many temptations.”

Both sides of the Old Firm were also united in their grief. Rangers manager Alex McLeish, who played against Best as a defender with Aberdeen, said: “It was just an amazing feeling to be on the same pitch as George Best. It’s tragic.”

Celtic legend Kenny Dalglish added that Best was “everything you want in a footballer, he had it”.

“Maybe people criticise him for the way he lived his life but if he had never led his life like that, maybe he wouldn’t have been the footballer that he was.”