Soccer: George Best improving slowly

LONDON - Former Manchester United soccer great George Best is making slow but steady improvement from the infection which has kept him in intensive care for almost a month, his doctor said on Saturday.

Best, who was described by his agent as being close to death earlier this week, is still on a ventilator and has some internal bleeding although his condition has improved.

"He still is seriously ill but there's no doubt there has been some improvement in the last 48 hours," Professor Roger Williams told reporters outside the private Cromwell hospital in west London where Best is being treated.

"He's still sedated and still on the ventilator. (But) all of his observations are stable. He's certainly not bleeding any where near as much as he was, in fact hardly at all now."

Best, 59, has been in intensive care since October 2.

The Belfast-born player has had an alcohol problem for much of his adult life and underwent a liver transplant in 2002 after years of heavy drinking.

His condition deteriorated seriously this week but following a change in medication he has made a slow improvement.

"He still is very seriously ill, still requiring a lot of treatment but on the whole better, better than yesterday and better than the day before which is the day we were most worried about him," Williams said.

Best was regarded by many as the greatest player to come from the British Isles.

The Northern Ireland international had a dazzling but short career at Manchester United, winning the European Cup in 1968 when he was named European Footballer of the Year.

He has struggled with alcohol addiction ever since.

- REUTERS