Fears grow for Best

Fears were growing for George Best today after he suffered a “really bad night”.

His agent Phil Hughes was downbeat about his condition and Sky News quoted sources at the hospital where he is being treated as saying today would be a “sad day” for fans of the Manchester United and Northern Ireland legend.

Best, 59, remained on a ventilator in the intensive care unit at the private Cromwell Hospital in west London after he suffered a severe setback and a lung infection.

Hughes said: “The doctors said he had a really bad night. We’ll know more later today.”

Best’s condition deteriorated on Tuesday night.

Professor Roger Williams, who has been overseeing his treatment, told reporters outside the hospital yesterday: “The situation is that he didn’t have a very good night, had a disturbed night and had to be put back on the ventilator.”

He added: “He remains very ill, there is a bit more of a problem with bleeding than we had before.”

Best’s father Dickie, 87, and other members of his family have been at his bedside.

After weeks of illness Best’s health deteriorated significantly last Friday after he developed a lung infection.

He was admitted to the Cromwell Hospital on October 1 with flu-like symptoms and earlier this month suffered a kidney infection.

Best, who has battled alcoholism for years, had a liver transplant in 2002.