'George Best was my childhood hero and he still is'
- Published
Taking on Mark Lawrenson in this week's Premier League predictions is Tears for Fears duo Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal, who are both Manchester United fans.
They have sold more than 30 million albums since they formed Tears for Fears in the early 1980s and are back in February 2022 with The Tipping Point, their first album for almost 18 years.
"Curt was a boyhood United fan, but I was born just outside Portsmouth, so they were my first love," Orzabal told BBC Sport.
"When I moved to Bath I lost interest in football completely for decades and it was only in 1998, when I was dragged by my neighbour in the West Country to watch the World Cup, that things changed.
"Then suddenly in I am watching these beautiful colour renditions and this guy called David Beckham was placing the ball on a dime."
Smith is based in Los Angeles now and is a season ticket holder at Major League Soccer side LAFC, but United are never far from his thoughts.
"My affinity for United goes a long way back," he explained. "I grew up with the team of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton. George was my childhood hero and he still is. At times, watching him play was just unbelievable - the only people who have come close are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
"It is nice to see Ronaldo back at United. It is not the same as when he was with us first time around but, having said that, he came back and started scoring straightaway. It was like 'welcome home!'"
Read more from Tears for Fears and their Premier League predictions