George Best had nothing on Frank Worthington in Brighton

Then he went out with Frank Worthington on a Tuesday night in Brighton.

Worthington, who has died at the age of 72 after ill health, only played for Albion for a season.

He wore the white pinstripes for nine months or so more than 35 years ago.

But he left enough memories to have those who were around at the time reminiscing when news of his passing emerged yesterday morning.

Seagulls fans saw his silky touch at the Goldstone as he scored eight goals for a talented side who were one win from returning to the top flight in 1984-85.

Kraay, coming from the Netherlands, loved the skills he saw from Frank.

And he loved those Tuesday nights out too.

The former midfielder or defender told The Argus﹕“He was my friend.

“We were nearly always together but he was very close to the rest of the team as well. It was a team of mates.

“He had nothing of an English striker about him. He was so skilful, his first touch was brilliant.

“He had a brilliant left foot and he kissed the ball more often than he hit it.

“He was always looking for space. He had eyes in his back.

“He never had to go for a header in a fighting situation. He always went for where the second ball was falling.

“He was a fantastic No.10. He was not a target man but around a target man he was so unbelievably brilliant.

“He hated tackles and you never had to worry about him losing his two front teeth like most strikers in England.”

Worthington had more than 20 clubs in his colourful career and that was only ON the field.

He went to a few off it, too.

Kraay recalled﹕“Tuesday night when there was no game, I’d pick him up and his wife Carol would be shaking her head when we were leaving.

“He always had this black leather jacket on with this very little, silver Elvis Presley guitar, like a badge.

“As soon as we entered Woodies or Fagins - I don’t even know whether they still exist but they were the target places for us players - it was all women around Frank.

“I was also lucky enough to play one season with George Best in San Jose and I thought I’d seen it all.

“But with Frank it was even worse!

“It would be 1am and he’d see me looking at all the girls and he’d say, ‘Hans, you take this one’.

“Woodies was in Hove and we always started Tuesday night there.

“We’d go to Fagins in town and from about midnight we’d just follow Jimmy Case to wherever he was going.”

And then there were the quiet nights in, Worthington style.

Kraay, pictured above, recalled﹕“He and Carol knew everyone in the music world.

“Every now and then he’d phone me and say something like, ‘Hans, do you want to come over for a glass of wine? Jagger is here as well’.

“So I was quite shaky and trembling sitting as a young player, 24 years old, between Frank Worthington and Mick Jagger there at his place in Hove.

“Rod Stewart was at the Brighton Centre and we were there before the concert and Rod was, ‘Ah, Frank, how are you?’. And with Sting the same.

“I was very lucky with Frank.”

Worthington did not settle anywhere for too long later in his career.

He turned down a new deal at Albion in 1985 when boss Chris Cattlin refused to give him a signing fee.

Kraay, who now works on Dutch television, said﹕“I was such a stupid idiot because I said No as well.

“I was really fond of Chris Cattlin and I thought he was a fantastic manager. I really regret that Frank influenced me.

“It was, ‘if they don’t give us two, crazy Hans and the great Frank, a pay rise, we leave’.

“Frank phoned me up five weeks after we declined the offer and I was still shaking my head.

“I thought I was homesick when I was in England.

ALBION DIRECTOR SAYS FRANK WORTHINGTON WAS ONE OF THE BEST

FRANK WORTHINGTON AT ALBION - IN PICTURES

“But after two days back in Holland I was homesick for Brighton!

“But I didn’t dare phone Chris Cattlin to say I was accepting the offer after all.

“Frank said, ‘I’m the new manager of Tranmere Rovers and I need you, I need a fighter and tackler in the midfield’.

“With my stupid head I said No again. I let him down.

“But the nice thing is the other night, on our talk show in Holland, we actually spoke about him and someone said he had read Frank’s book.

“There were two teams there - the best players he had ever played with and his favourite players.

“I was in his all-time team of favourite team-mates and I was proud of that.”

Rightly so. With Worthington it was about more than football.

But the football was often brilliant and some it came at the Goldstone.