Best was a relative late comer to rugby, starting his career with Malone RFC.

The Times newspaper reported that at the start of 2005 that he was arrested and later cautioned for a drunken assault on a club mate, which almost ended his career,[4] however later in the year he made his Senior international début for Ireland as a replacement v New Zealand in November 2005.

His form for Ulster and during the summer tour to Australia and New Zealand saw Best included in the Ireland squad for the 2006 Autumn Internationals.

[3] It was announced in February 2008 that Best would join English side Northampton Saints at the end of the 2007/2008 season.

In 2010 he also had to spend time on a drink driver's rehabilitation course after having been found to be almost twice the legal limit when breathalysed by police after he crashed his Audi A3 on the A512 at Thringstone, in Leicestershire.