Best grew up in the worst parts of Nottingham and could have ended joining his mates from school in the nick had his mother not got him involved with Notts County.
"From a young age where I lived there was a lot of gangs and a lot of people doing things that they shouldn't like selling drugs, killing, stabbing," Best told the Sunday Mercury.
"It's happening everywhere nowadays but when I was growing up it was right smack in my area.
"My mum used to get worried when I stayed out late because she thought I would get involved in certain things but I was just out with my friends.
"If your friends do certain things they are not always going to involve you but sometimes you get involved for just being there.
"Me and my mum agreed to disagree, she gave me a curfew, something that my friends didn't have as they were out till the early hours of the morning. Just for the love of her I would try and come in on time.
"At a young age I couldn't see what she was doing but now I respect what she was doing. When I look back at my old friends some of them are dead, some of them are in prison.
"There are a few that are still my loyal friends and always will be. "I don't let football change me, I've still got the same friends from when I was young and they are probably my closest friends.
"They respect me for what I do, there's certain times when I can't go everywhere with them.
"I've not changing because of my job, I'm the same person, I was just lucky to get out and play football.
"If I didn't have a mum like mine then anything could have happened.
"When I was growing up I was my mum's number one priority and she looked after me along with my sister."