George Best vs Peter Shilton: Stats Compared
Winger / Forward, Northern Ireland (born 1946, retired 1984) · Goalkeeper, England (born 1949, retired 1997)
Ask any fan to rank George Best above or below Peter Shilton and you will get a passionate answer. Reputations harden into legacies, and few careers cast longer shadows than these two. Across his senior career George Best notched 214 goals in 616 appearances (0.35 per game), while Peter Shilton recorded 1 in 1005 (0.00 per game). Assists were never formally recorded across most of their eras, so the playmaking dimension has to be judged on reputation and highlights rather than hard totals. The honours ledger favours George Best with 5 major trophies (1× European Cup (1968)) against Peter Shilton's 4 (2× European Cup (1979, 1980)). Their legacies diverge in texture: George Best is remembered as explosive, Peter Shilton as sweeper-keen. Their routes to the top were distinct: George Best built his reputation across Manchester United, Fulham, others, peaking around 1968, while Peter Shilton reached his defining level around 1980 after spells with Leicester City, Stoke City, Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Derby County, Plymouth Argyle, Wimbledon, Leyton Orient. Each, in his own way, set a standard the other is measured against.
180 words · comparison angle: legacy
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.”
The most-capped England player in history with 125 caps, Shilton set an English record of 1,005 league appearances and won back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest.
“A commanding, remarkably consistent shot-stopper whose positioning and reflexes made him one of the most reliable goalkeepers of his generation.”
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)
- 2× European Cup (1979, 1980)
- 1× English First Division (1978)
- 1× League Cup (1979)
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
- 1966 Professional debut for Leicester City
- 1979 Won European Cup with Nottingham Forest
- 1979 Won League Cup with Nottingham Forest
- 1980 Reached the peak of his powers at Nottingham Forest
- 1997 Retired after a final spell at Leyton Orient
- Finished his career with 1 goals in 1005 appearances and 4 major honours. Finished his career with 1 goals in 1005 appearances and 4 major honours.
The verdict
Reasonable people will disagree, but George Best wins out by a clear margin on the weight of a sharper goalscoring record.
George Best edges it (a clear margin)
