Concern has been expressed for the health of the troubled soccer legend George Best after another lapse in his battle to stay off alcohol.
The former Northern Ireland international and Manchester United star was due to provide commentary for the BBC at Saturday's World Cup qualifying fixture in Belfast but pulled out, citing continued ill-health.
Best (54) started drinking again last week despite warnings that it might precipitate his death.
He has been in frail health since suffering a serious liver complaint last year and has been recently making a slow recovery from pneumonia, which put him in hospital in Belfast for a week last month.
Ill-health forced him to pull out of another appointment last week, an Old Trafford charity dinner in his honour.
Best's agent, Mr Phil Hughes, said he was confident the ex-footballer could overcome the latest setback.
"George is not a stupid man. He will stop drinking. He has to, and he knows it," Mr Hughes said.
He urged people to give Best his space "and hopefully he will soon come around".
Best, now living in Portavogie, Co Down, where he moved last year to escape the pressures of London life, has been warned by doctors to stay off alcohol for good.
He fell off the wagon once, prompting his consultant, Prof Roger Williams, to publicly criticise those who continued giving him drink, but had stayed dry after returning to his native Northern Ireland.
Mr Hughes said Best's wife, Alex, was "bearing up" but added: "Anyone who knows and loves George will be absolutely broken-hearted."
He said: "I feel I betrayed George by saying he was drinking, but it was common knowledge anyway.
"I would not be doing him any favours by trying to cover this up."