Best's liver given all-clear

George Best has been told his liver remains in a "perfectly satisfactory" condition following his recent drinking relapse, it emerged today.

He and his wife Alex had a 90-minute meeting with consultant hepatologist Professor Roger Williams, the doctor who gave Best his life-saving liver transplant a year ago.

The former Manchester United star - now a television soccer pundit and Sunday newspaper columnist - smiled as he left the Cromwell Hospital in west London where he was told that his much-publicised relapse, which led to his arrest following a scuffle with a photographer at his local pub in Surrey, had left his liver relatively unscathed.

Professor Williams said Best had been into the hospital yesterday "for routine tests in relation to his liver. He is coming periodically while we are checking up on things.

"His condition is perfectly satisfactory. I would say his condition is good. He is also in good spirits."

Best and his 31-year-old wife left the hospital in the new £53,000 black Mercedes ML55 off-roader with personalised number plates that he bought her as an apology for the relapse.

Best, 57, had been dreading what damage could have been done to his new liver. In the worst case, the organ would have been permanently and seriously damaged.

He made an appointment to see Professor Williams and underwent an initial round of tests at the hospital last week, and then further tests yesterday.

Best said after the first tests: "The professor wasn't happy with the blood counts. I suppose it's to be expected after what I've been doing to myself.

"I would've been surprised if it was normal. It's obviously worrying, but I've brought it upon myself and I have no one else to blame. It makes me more determined to put it right, if I can."

He went on: "In a weird way, it's the best thing he could have said to me. If he'd said it was normal, I would have thought I could get away with it again. But now I know I can't."

Best is now to have the Antabuse pellets - which should have made him violently ill when he was drinking - re-implanted.

He has also been prescribed anti-depressants to help with the underlying cause of his relapse.