Best back on booze says agent

George Best pictured with his wife, Alex.

Northern Ireland soccer legend George Best is back on the booze despite warnings that it could kill him, his agent has said.

Phil Hughes said he was "worried sick" about the 54-year-old star, who has pulled out of two public appearances through ill health in the past 10 days.

London-based Mr Hughes said Best had been "unmistakably drunk" during telephone conversations in recent days.

Speaking to PA News on Saturday, Mr Hughes said he planned to fly over to Northern Ireland soon to visit the one-time Manchester United great at his home in the fishing village of Portavogie, County Down.

Best, whose glittering career was cut short by heavy drinking, left London after treatment for a serious liver complaint and a warning to stay off alcohol for good.

He relapsed back to drinking at one point - prompting his consultant Professor Roger Williams to publicly criticise those who continued giving him drink - but had stayed dry after returning to Northern Ireland.

Cancellations

His agent said, however, that he started drinking again last week after ill-health forced him to withdraw from a charity dinner in his honour at Old Trafford.

Mr Hughes said: "I find it very disturbing that people are serving him drink over there.

"If they feel that they're able to add to George's problems by serving him alcohol, it's something that may be on their conscience."

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

He was treated for pneumonia in Belfast last month and had been making a slow recovery, Mr Hughes said.

'Heartbreaking'

He added: "He has still been pretty poorly but what has added to it is that he is back on the drink - that won't be helping.

"I'm speaking to him a couple of times a day and he tells me he's fine and to leave him alone.

"A couple of times he has not been drinking but other days you can obviously tell that he is drinking."

Mr Hughes added that Best's wife, Alex, was "bearing up".

But he said: "Anyone who knows and loves George will be absolutely broken-hearted."