One of the greatest footballers of all time and Manchester United legend George Best was in fact a Cypriot, according to reports from a Turkish Cypriot newspaper.

According to a story in Kibris newspaper, a well informed source told them that football star George Best was in fact a Cypriot.

It is claimed George Best grandfather was a Turkish Cypriot from Lefka and his Greek Cypriot mother was from Limassol.

The source told Kibris that George Best visited his biological father on numerous occasions in the 1960s and 70s.

The parents of the Greek Cypriot girl sent her to London to give birth to the baby due to her becoming pregnant outside marriage, the source said. The baby was then given up for adoption to an Irish family.

About George Best

George Best was born in East Belfast on 22nd May 1946. Even from a young age his parents, Dickie and Anne, recognised George’s love for football. His mother, reflecting on her son’s early life, passed the comment “with George it was always the ball!”

He played for the local boys club in Cregagh. Even though his frame was small it didn’t get in the way of displaying his enormous talent. What did temporarily get in the way was George’s education. At 11 years of age he won a scholarship to the local grammar school Grosvenor High where, unfortunately for George, rugby was the only sport on the curriculum. George was lost without his beloved football and began to skip school. Inevitably he was caught out, with the result that both his parents and the school decided that George would be better off going to Lisnasharragh Secondary. Back with his old friends from primary school and a ball once again at his feet George settled into his new school straight away.

As a young teenager George’s exceptional talent came to the notice of Glentoran – the local football team in East Belfast. But concerned about his small frame they passed him by. Bob Bishop, the Manchester United Scout in Belfast, did not. On seeing George play he knew he had discovered something special and immediately sent a telegram to Manchester United’s manager Matt Busby. The telegram simply read:

“I think I’ve found you a genius”

George was subsequently given a trial and signed up by chief scout Joe Armstrong in 1961.

Man Utd Years

In six magical seasons with United George scored 179 goals in 370 games – six in one game!

However initial homesickness nearly pulled the plug on his flourishing career. Just 24 hours after arriving at Old Trafford George, along with another young Northern Irish player Eric McMordie, decided to flee back to their homes in Belfast. A telephone conversation between George’s father and United’s manager Matt Busby sent him back to Old Trafford within 2 weeks.

George turned professional in 1963 and made his Manchester United debut against West Bromwich Albion on 14th September 1963. At the tender age of 17 he ran his experienced Welsh opponent Graham Williams ragged. It is said that, after the match, the hard man shook George’s hand and delivered the line “Stand still son so I can have a look at your face. I’ve been looking at your backside all day disappearing up the touchline”.

Home sickness still plagued George and that Christmas he travelled back to Belfast to spend time with his family. While in Belfast the club made contact, wanting him to play for Saturday’s home game against Burnley who had thrashed United on Boxing Day. The rather cheeky 17 year old, with only one professional game under his belt, said that he would play but only on the condition that they would fly him back to Belfast immediately after the game. The club agreed. It was at that moment that George knew he had made his mark. And it was in this match that the club knew they had not made a mistake giving in to George’s demands. United overturned their humiliating defeat and George scored his first goal.

As the newest ‘Busby Babe’ George soon became the driving force in the United team and the catalyst that would overcome the terrible memories of the Munich air crash in 1958 in which 8 of the Busby Babes died.

Along with Dennis Law and Bobby Charlton, George formed probably the greatest football trio of all time. The special mix helped United win two first division championships and the coveted European Cup.

George had become the first show-business footballer, receiving more than 1,000 fan mail letters a week. The shops, modelling assignments and personal appearances aspect of George’s career was booming. However for a modest lad from Belfast it was also overwhelming and it temporarily took its toll on his football career.

But true to form George came back with a corker in the European cup, scoring twice against Helsinki. A clash with the mighty Benfica in the quarter finals saw United in one of their best performances – and George in probably his best match! With just 12 minutes gone and against Matt Busby’s instructions to “keep it tight”, George had scored twice – once with a header, and the second a moment of pure magic as he beat 3 opponents before shooting past the goalkeeper. The final score was 5-1 and George returned home, sombrero on head, with the title ‘El Beatle’. His official entry into super stardom was born.

George lit up United at home and abroad and in 1968 they had another crack at the European Cup. Ironically their opponents were once again Benfica. That night George Best made Matt Busby’s dream come true. With time running out he took control of the game, receiving the ball with his back to the goal, drifting past his marker, ghosting past the goalkeeper and casually rolling the ball into the empty net. George was voted European Player of the Year.

Sadly however George had reached his pinnacle with the team. He began to drift and after Matt Busby retired each of the new managers failed to control the wayward player. As Sir Matt Busby famously once said of George:

“Let him alone. Don’t try to coach him, the boy is special”

Seeing United beaten by teams they used to hammer a few years ago was painful and his love for football slowly diminished. He began to drink more with the result that his training suffered and his appearances became less. But they were still magical days with George returning from suspension in 1970 to score 6 out of 8 goals against Northampton.

By the end of the 1974 season his days at Manchester United were over. He was only 26.