George Best wasn't called George, according to his birth certificate

Ronald Samuel Best went on to become one of the world's greatest footballers

A picture of George Best's birth certificate (Twitter/@BelTel)

The name George Best is a special one. It’s recognised by those who may not know a great deal about football, idolised by those who do and leaves Manchester United and Northern Ireland fans in awe when they recount the fond memories that the ex-footballer left on the world. Ronald Samuel Best, however, is not a special name. But it could have been.

A picture of Best’s apparent birth certificate is doing the rounds after the Belfast Telegraph managed to get hold of it. The major shock came when it was revealed that his birth name was not George, but Ronald Samuel.

Born on 22 May 1946, the iconic footballer, who sadly died in 2005 of multiple organ failure after complications from a liver transplant, is widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted footballers in the history of the game and has been compared to the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona.

Best’s brother-in-law Norman McNarry told the Belfast Telegraph that as far as he was aware, his name was George and that the birth certificate must have been a mistake.

McNarry said: “We can only assume that it was a misprint, or that a mistake has been made and later rectified. Maybe the registrar of births got it slightly wrong and then changed it after Barbara's dad pointed it out and said he was called George."

George Best became a household name with Manchester United

George or Ronald, it doesn’t really matter, but Best remains one of the greatest footballers to have grace the English top flight and indeed the world.