OT 100 #23: Best's bow
Matt Busby's faith in the promotion of young talent was once again demonstrated on 19 September, 1963, when a spindly 17-year-old named George Best was thrust into his first senior start...
"When you're the new kid in the team playing with a man of Bobby Charlton's stature, you're supposed to give the ball occasionally. But once I got it, I didn't want to give it to anybody."
- George Best
The Background: It took all of Busby's efforts to pursuade the quiet Belfast boy that life in Manchester was for him but, once he settled at the club, Best made an eye-catching impact in the Reds' youth ranks. Two years after moving over to England, Best had impressed sufficiently to secure a professional contract and, early in the 1963/64 season, a first sniff of senior action against West Brom.
The Occasion: Before the game, Best sat quietly in the corner of the United dressing room, calmly thumbing through a copy of United Review; a virtual unknown to the 50,453 supporters in the stands. From the first whistle, however, the teenager's talents quickly became apparent as he skipped by visiting players with ease, even nutmegging his marker, experienced Welsh international Graham Williams. Although David Sadler scored the only goal of the game, the terraces hummed throughout the match with talk of the new boy.
The Aftermath: United finished the 1963/64 season in second spot, with Best making an impressive 26 appearances in all competitions. He became a first team regular the following season, forming what would be dubbed 'The Holy Trinity' alongside Bobby Charlton and Denis Law; a triumvirate now immortalised in a statue on Sir Matt Busby Way. Best went on to make 470 United appearances, scoring 179 goals and establishing himself as arguably the most gifted player in the club's history.