Leave Best alone, says his agent

George Best's agent has appealed for people to leave him in peace to recover from his latest drinking lapse.

Phil Hughes says he is confident Best can overcome the alcoholic binge of the past 10 days.

The former soccer star has been warned that going back on the booze could kill him.

"George is not a stupid man. He will stop drinking. He has to - and he knows it," Mr Hughes said.

Best, 54, started hitting the bottle again last week after ill health forced him to pull out of an Old Trafford charity dinner in his honour.

He was also to have provided commentary for the BBC at the Northern Ireland World Cup qualifying fixture against the Czech Republic in Belfast, but pulled out, citing continued ill-health.

Hughes, who went public with the former footballer's fall from the wagon amid mounting press scrutiny, said: "Could they please just back off and leave him alone to try and get himself over it... If they could just give him his space and hopefully he will soon come around."

Mr Hughes earlier said he was "worried sick" about the ailing former Manchester United great in the fishing village of Portavogie, County Down, where he moved last year to escape the pressures of London life.

Mr Hughes said Best's wife, Alex, was "bearing up" but Mr Hughes added: "Anyone who knows and loves George will be absolutely broken-hearted."

He added: "I feel I betrayed George by saying he was drinking, but it was common knowledge anyway. I would not be doing him any favours by trying to cover this up."