FFC columnist Stephen Darwin concludes his "Who's the greatest series" on Manchester United. In his final part, Stephen turns his attention to Cristiano Ronaldo and George Best to find out who is the finest wing wizard to play at Old Trafford.

Cristiano Ronaldo has set the Premier League alight over the last couple of seasons. The Portuguese winger possesses an array of dazzling tricks, a sublime turn of pace and a goal-scoring record that continues to defy the role expected of a traditional wide midfielder. It is no wonder that the Madeira-born wizard has been compared to George Best in recent times.

Best was an extraordinary footballer and undeniably one of the greatest players to ever grace the game. The Northern Irishman would humiliate defenders with his attacking guile and instantly became a favourite among supporters from all over the world. So is all the furore surrounding Ronaldo a tad premature; or can the Premier League's current top marksmen realistically claim to be the ‘Best'?

George Best

On 22nd May 1946 a genuine legend was born. George Best undoubtedly experienced some tough times during his career but this does little to tarnish the unquestionable ability of the Belfast born superstar with a football at his feet. It was by no means an understatement when United scout Bob Bishop announced that he had found a 'genius' in Best at the tender age of 15.

Best would glide past defenders effortlessly and it would seem like the ball was glued to his foot as he drifted away from challenge after challenge. Often the only way to stop the brilliance of Best was to ultimately admit defeat and foul him. Georgie boasted an incredible goal-scoring record too, with 179 goals in all competitions for Manchester United. Best's importance at Old Trafford was underlined by the unprecedented achievement of being the club's leading scorer in five consecutive campaigns.

In only his second season with the Red Devils, Best secured his first league title with the club and would go on to produce one of the most memorable performances of his career a year later. In United's 5-1 triumph over Benfica in the 1966 European Cup quarter final, Best scored a fantastic brace that included a truly remarkable solo run. The Portuguese press were quick to acknowledge Best's supreme class and famously labelled him 'El Beatle'.

A second league title would follow in 1967 and Best proved once again to be the thorn in Benfica's side in the 1968 European Cup Final. In a significantly tight affair, Best gave United a 2-1 extra-time lead that helped inspire the Red Devils to a 4-1 victory and the coveted tag of European Champions. In what had been a magnificent season for Manchester United, Best was crowned both PFA and European Footballer of the Year.

On the international scene, Best represented Northern Ireland 37 times and found the net on 6 occasions. Best has long been described as the greatest player never to have graced a major international tournament - a considerable shame for the decisive winger, as he would have certainly excelled at a World Cup or European Championship.

Best was frequently under the media spotlight and was the first footballer to experience the showbiz lifestyle. Not only an icon on the pitch, Best's appearance made him an extremely popular figure off it too, with modelling assignments and public appearances all part of the Best repertoire. Best had clearly set a trend as we witness the idolisation of the Beckham's and Ronaldo's of the modern era, where modelling contracts are highly lucrative and professional footballers are under the constant scrutiny of the media.

Cristiano Ronaldo

In a similar vein to George Best, it was apparent that United had unearthed a special talent in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo even before he had stepped foot in Manchester. During a pre-season friendly in 2003 that saw United succumb to a 3-1 defeat against Sporting Lisbon, Ronaldo put in a typically impressive performance that prompted a selection of United's playing staff to encourage Sir Alex to sign the Portuguese maestro. The United manager duly obliged, parting with £12.24 million to secure Ronaldo's signature - a substantial bargain for a player of such unrivalled class.

In contrast to Best, Ronaldo prefers to tantalise and tease defenders with an assortment of tricks before producing an end product. There have been numerous critics of Ronaldo's final ball and willingness to go down but it is apparent that he has addressed these parts of his game in an attempt to become the ultimate footballer.

The manner in which Ronaldo reacted to the post World Cup anger of English supporters is something to be admired. Despite a tirade of abuse from away fans, Cristiano's personality shone through and the Portuguese set off on a mission to silence the boo boys. Infact, the 2006/2007 season proved to be particularly vibrant for United as Ronaldo's scintillating skill, electric pace and clinical finishing helped the Manchester club to their first league title in four years. Ronaldo's superlative form didn't go unnoticed and the 23 year-old picked up a number of individual accolades including the PFA Players Player and Young Player of the Year and the Football Writers Footballer of the Year awards.

Ronaldo has pushed on to unbelievably greater heights this season and his career continues to flourish at United. The exciting winger has already scored 27 goals in all competitive matches this term and is a constant attacking threat whenever he features in the famous red shirt. Ronaldo has a refreshing self belief that is clearly indestructible and he will always strive to improve despite being at the peak of his game.

The Portuguese national team have also reaped the rewards of possessing one of the finest footballers in world football. Cristiano has notched up 36 caps and 12 goals in his relatively short international career. A defeat to Greece in the Final of Euro 2004 quashed Ronaldo's dreams of winning a trophy with his country but with Euro 2008 just around the corner, I'm sure Portugal will be challenging come the end of the tournament.

The Result

Manchester United have been fortunate enough to witness the development of some outstanding number 7's in their illustrious history. Best and Ronaldo stake a legitimate claim of being the greatest and separating the two is an ultimately difficult proposition. Both technically astute and wonderfully gifted footballers but by appearing in 466 matches and consistently performing at the highest level, Best's commitment to Manchester United ever so slightly tilts the contest in my opinion. Yet with Ronaldo thriving at the current rate, there is no reason why he cannot become the indisputable king of the number 7 shirt in the future. As long as the twinkle toed talent resists the allure of Real Madrid, he may well cement himself in United's history as a true legend of the club.

Click Here to read Part One- Robson vs Keane
Click Here to read Part Two- Bruce/Pallister vs Vidic/Ferdinand