George Best vs Teddy Sheringham: Stats Compared
Winger / Forward, Northern Ireland (born 1946, retired 1984) · Striker, England (born 1966, retired 2008)
Ask any fan to rank George Best above or below Teddy Sheringham and you will get a passionate answer. Separated by their years at the top, each defined the football of their own generation. George Best finishes with 214 career goals from 616 games — a 0.35 strike rate — against Teddy Sheringham's 320 from 900 at 0.36 per match. Modern assist data only covers part of their careers, so creativity is hard to compare cleanly — George Best is listed at 0 and Teddy Sheringham at 130 where figures survive. In major honours George Best collected 5 — headlined by 1× European Cup (1968) — whereas Teddy Sheringham amassed 4, led by 1× UEFA Champions League (1999). Across the post-war golden age and the 1990s respectively, their explosive and predatory styles captured the spirit of very different footballing times. Club journeys add another layer, with George Best reaching his representative peak around 1968 across Manchester United, Fulham, others and Teddy Sheringham doing so around 1999 with Millwall, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Portsmouth, West Ham United, Colchester United. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
195 words · comparison angle: era
Player profiles
Northern Irish winger and Manchester United icon; Ballon d'Or winner in 1968 after helping Manchester United win their first European Cup.
“A balance-perfect winger who combined dribbling flair with an eye for goal and a rock-star aura.”
A cerebral, late-developing striker, Sheringham scored the injury-time equaliser in Manchester United's 1999 Champions League final and remains the Premier League's oldest ever goalscorer.
“An intelligent, deep-dropping forward whose clever hold-up play and vision created space for quicker strike partners.”
Head-to-head stats
Career goals by season
Representative career seasons — goals per season for each player across their documented clubs.
Attribute radar
Attribute ratings are peak-era, 0–100. Different positions naturally skew the profile.
Attribute comparison
Trophy breakdown
- 1× European Cup (1968)
- 2× English First Division (1965, 1967)
- 2× FA Charity Shield (1965, 1967)
- 1× UEFA Champions League (1999)
- 2× Premier League (1999, 2000)
- 1× FA Cup (1999)
Trophy distribution
Career milestones
- 1963 Manchester United debut aged 17
- 1965 First English First Division title
- 1968 European Cup winner and Ballon d'Or winner
- 1968 Joint top scorer in the First Division
- 1972 Brief retirement then return to Manchester United
- 1974 Left Manchester United
- 1984 Made final professional appearances in the United States
- 1984 Professional debut for Millwall
- 1999 Won UEFA Champions League with Manchester United
- 1999 Won FA Cup with Manchester United
- 1999 Reached the peak of his powers at Manchester United
- 2008 Retired after a final spell at Colchester United
- Finished his career with 320 goals in 900 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 320 goals in 900 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
If forced to pick, George Best is the choice: a clear margin, with a stronger all-round attribute profile the deciding factor.
George Best edges it (a clear margin)
