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Even though we all new it was going to happen it still came as an incredible shock. The news of George Best's death last week, at the relatively young age of 59, brought fans of football from around the world to a standstill. Best, like all of us, wasn't perfect in every area of his life. But at work, on the football field, he attained a level of perfection that most of us mere mortals can only dream of.

On hearing of his death I found it difficult not to think about the archive of magical memories he has left us with. The film footage that exists, showing his vast array of remarkable football skills, will live on as testimony to his genius and will become a legacy for future generations.

Any youngster watching him in action will, I'm sure, be inspired by his jaw dropping talent. His ability was so unique that it was often quite difficult to describe in mere words. Watching film footage of him in action shows a man playing with a freedom and spontaneity that is hard to find in today's game.

In the days since his death I have been asked repeatedly, by members of the press, why George was so special. And of course the reasons are many and varied. But I believe that it was his completeness as a player that makes him stand out amongst the pantheon of football greats. His pace over both short and long distances was astounding. He had the balance of a ballet dancer and the strength of a bull. His bravery was beyond reproach for one who stood at only 5ft 8 inches and weighed in at a touch above 9 stone. His ability to time his tackles to perfection against some of the hardest men in football, in the likes of Hunter, Harris and Yeats, was simply unbelievable. His dribbling was the stuff of legend as was his goal scoring prowess with either foot or with his head. In 466 League and Cup appearances for Manchester United he scored an astonishing 178 goals.

At the age of 17 he was a first team regular at Manchester United. His single handed destruction of the mighty Benfica, with two goals in United's 5-1 European Cup quarter-final victory in 1966, earned him the title of ‘El Beatle' in recognition of his pop-star good looks.

In subsequent seasons his tally of goals was more impressive than that of many a centre-forward as he helped United to secure Division One titles in 1965 and 1967 and helped, in 1968, to win the elusive European Cup for his Manager, Matt Busby. In the same season he found the net on 28 occasions to become the leading goalscorer in Division One, a remarkable return for a winger. As a result of his outstanding performances on the pitch he was named the youngest ever Footballer of the Year and in 1968 he secured the title of European Footballer of the Year.

Despite been born with a prodigious football talent it shouldn't be forgotten that George put in an immense amount of hard work to make himself a better player. He would often stay behind to practise alone and Jimmy Murphy, the United assistant manager, described him as being ‘a fantastically hard trainer'. In an attempt to make himself two footed Best would repeatedly try to score direct from a corner with his weaker left peg. By the time he was 20 most people couldn't tell which was his stronger foot.

Best was a football visionary. He could see possibilities on a football field that simply did not occur to other players. His awareness of player's positions, both defensively and offensively, was uncanny. This skill, that cannot be taught, George had in abundance.

Perhaps the most vivid memory I have of Best was the first time that I saw footage of him, having reached an age when I could appreciate his ability. And the thing that struck me about him was his ‘other worldlyness'. I can only compare the feelings that I had on that occasion to the sensation I had the first time I saw and heard Jimmy Hendrix playing the guitar. Both, it appeared, had had been placed in their respective arenas without influence. Whilst having the ability to communicate with their respective audiences they were both giving something utterly new to our cultural heritage. They had both, somehow, invented a language that was completely new to our ears and eyes. The jet heeled Best was doing things with a ball, on pitches that resembled battlefields, that defied the laws of gravity. It was as if he had been transported down from another planet and his performances, to everyone who saw them, were an unforgettable sight.

It is that invention and creativity that makes him arguably the greatest player that there has ever been in the game. But that's just my opinion.

The National Football Museum welcomes all visitors to visit the museum on Saturday 3rd December to sign a book of condolence. Fans can also leave personal tributes which will be housed in the museum's collections as a lasting memory to George. George's funeral will also be shown live on TV in the museum's main foyer on the day.