Transplant for football star Best

Best is having a life-saving operation

LONDON, England -- Football legend George Best is undergoing a liver transplant operation after decades of drinking that have taken their toll on his body.

The 56-year-old former Manchester United star was summoned to the private Cromwell Hospital in west London at 0500 GMT on Tuesday for the life-saving surgery.

It is not known how long the operation could take to complete and a hospital spokesman said a full medical statement would be issued later.

Best, who also played for London club Fulham and Northern Ireland, revealed last year that he was considering a transplant operation after staying sober for 12 months and was on the waiting list for nine months, his agent said.

The legendary drinker cut out alcohol and had Antabuse tablets inserted into his stomach to keep him on the wagon after he was warned just one more drink could kill him.

But his liver was not recovering from the decades of abuse.

His agent Phil Hughes told the Press Association: "He wasn't getting any worse but he wasn't getting any better either. This is very good news but there is still a worrying wait ahead."

He added: "He was absolutely fine, much braver than I would be -- I was a bag of nerves."

In a statement released by Manchester United, the club said: "Everyone at Manchester United wishes George all the best in the operation and a speedy recovery afterwards."

'Tons of fight'

A spokesman for the Cromwell Hospital told Reuters: "I can confirm that he is a patient at Cromwell Hospital and he is undergoing a liver transplant.

"The operation is in progress now but we don't know when it is likely to be completed. We will be making a full medical statement later."

Best, who works as a television analyst and newspaper columnist, was rushed to hospital in March 2000 after collapsing.

"I must be the only person in the world who's looking forward to going into hospital. I can't wait to get it over and done with," he told the Mail on Sunday newspaper in May.

Former Manchester City player Rodney Marsh, a longtime friend of Best and fellow Sky commentator, said: "He's got tons of fight, he's got that old Irish spirit.

"I went to his house for a barbecue eight weeks ago and he was looking forward to having a transplant.

"In the last part of last season, he got a little bit tired. We did talk about the operation, how long it was going to take, the ins and out.

"He knows what to expect. He said it could be up to two years recuperation as well."

Born in Belfast in 1946, Best captivated the football world in a sparkling 10-year career at Manchester United from 1963 to 1973, inspiring them to their 1968 European Cup triumph.

Best was voted European Footballer of the Year that season but a hectic life style eventually took its toll.