George Best was a legend on the football pitch and to this day his skills in front of goal stir the memory. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson met one Middlesbrough resident with more to remember than most.

OUTSIDE of Middlesbrough, few football fans will have heard of Eric McMordie. Twenty-one international caps for Northern Ireland made him a hero in his homeland and 277 appearances for Boro made him a talisman on Teesside. But, in the rest of the world, he remains something of a footballing footnote.

As a teenager, though, the Belfast-born midfielder could make a claim that would have earned him his place in history. In the eyes of many observers, he was better than the best. Or, to be more precise, better than George Best and, when it comes to footballing talent, that effectively means the same thing.

"I first met George when I was 11 years of age," said McMordie, who settled in Middlesbrough when his playing days came to an end in 1975. "We played for different school sides but, coming from the same part of Belfast, we crossed swords quite frequently in boys club football.

"I played for Boyland and George played for Cregagh Boys Club. I wouldn't like to say who was the better player at that stage, but our managers thought a bit about both of us.

"It wasn't that unusual for Boyland players to have trials at Manchester United - the two clubs had a bit of an arrangement - but there weren't many Cregagh players got the chance.

"George was discovered by a chap called Bob Bishop, who was adamant he should travel to Manchester. When we were 15, we were both told we would be going to Old Trafford for a two-week trial.

"That was the start of everything for George, but only after we almost messed things up."

Had it not been for Best's perseverance, things could have turned out very differently indeed.

Arriving at Liverpool docks, both Best and McMordie struggled to come to terms with their alien surroundings.

Working-class kids from two of Belfast's roughest estates, they froze in front of Sir Matt Busby and suffered acute homesickness during their first night in shared digs.

By the next morning, they had made up their minds. Forget a future in football, they were catching the first ferry to Belfast in a rush to get home.

"We were both horribly embarrassed by what happened," said McMordie. "But we were two teenage kids from the tougher parts of Belfast. I'd hardly been past the end of my street and George hadn't travelled far either.

"I don't think we said a word to each other that first night. We were far too scared and missing our home like mad.

"We spoke on the ferry back - it was a mixture of embarrassment and relief - and, when we went our separate ways, I don't think either of us thought we'd see each other again."

As it was, Best returned to Manchester before the year was out and McMordie worked as a plasterer before joining Middlesbrough at the age of 18.

The pair crossed swords on innumerable occasions, and played alongside each other in the green of Northern Ireland.

"I have great, great memories of playing with George," said McMordie. "I feel honoured and privileged to have been part of the same team.

"There were lots of great games, but it's hard to beat winning at Wembley at 1972. Until this year, that was the last time Northern Ireland had won against England.

"George was a dream to play with, but you had to be careful what you said to him. Not because he would say something - just because he would make it easy for you to embarrass yourself.

"I remember screaming at him once when he didn't pass me the ball. I turned my back in disgust and, by the time I turned back round, he'd beaten three defenders and the ball was in the back of the net. He could do that in any situation of any game.

"He was the most technically gifted player I've ever seen. Most players didn't want the ball when there were defenders around them. That was when George wanted it most. He wanted the challenge of tackles flying in, and he wanted to see the defender's face after he'd beaten him all ends up."

As well as teaming up on the pitch, the pair also remained close off it. Best's extra-curricular activities became as legendary as his footballing feats, with his love of 'birds, betting and booze' fuelling his reputation as a playboy.

Moderation was not in his vocabulary but, while his life became public property, he remained fiercely loyal to those he considered friends.

"George could do things that he wasn't very proud of," admitted McMordie. "But anyone who knew him knows he was a devoted and well-loved friend.

"I don't have a bad word to say about him. He made his mistakes - we all do - but he never forgot about who he had been and where he had come from.

"He could become a different person when he drank, but I think the same is true of all of us if we over-indulge. His personality meant he over-indulged quite a lot, but his popularity never waned."

Recent years saw the duo drift further apart, although they stayed in contact and met at Northern Ireland reunions.

The meetings became harder as Best's health waned, but McMordie never lost sight of the teenager he once knew. To him, football's greatest figure was always a 15-year-old runaway.

"My last memory of George is of him sitting in a hotel in London after some of us had been on a television show," he said.

"It got harder and harder as the years went by, because you didn't want to put him in an environment where he could drink.

"But that uneasiness didn't last long. After a minute or two, we were just two lads from Northern Ireland who used to play a bit of football.

"I think George would be happy to be remembered like that."