10 great players who were relegated

#3 George Best

George Best was relegated twice in his career, first with Manchester United and then with Hibernian

George Best was an oddity for his generation. At a time when English football was primarily about physical domination, Best was an unusually adept dribbler who could run circles around anyone. Scouted by Manchester United at the age of 15 under the aegis of Sir Matt Busby, he made his debut when he was 17 and went on to score 179 goals in 470 appearances.

While many of us never watched him play, his exploits are legendary as the winger was United’s top scorer for five consecutive seasons. However, the Irishman peaked early and burned out just as fast. By the age of 22 he had won the league, the European Cup and the Ballon D’Or in 1968 and even though he maintained an exquisite partnership with Dennis Law and Bobby Charlton for another season, the end seemed imminent.

After Busby's retirement in 1969, United’s form spiralled as Law and Charlton left by 1973. Even though Best stayed on, his indiscipline was already in full swing. The 1973-74 season was a disaster for the club as they were relegated to the second division and Best along with them. However, his contract expiration coincided with the demotion and Best left for South Africa.

Six years later, he was back in the UK to play for Scottish club Hibernian on a ‘pay-per-play’ basis to save them from relegation. The plan failed and Hibernian dropped down as Best suffered yet another humiliating demotion.