Manchester City stars – past and present – dominate a collection of 40 football shirts issued to famous players which are coming up for sale this week.
The tops, which are match-worn or match-issued, are part of an important private collection of shirts due to be sold at Derbyshire’s Hansons Auctioneers on Friday (Nov 23) – and nearly half of them have Manchester City connections.
That means a very happy Christmas could be in store for supporters of the Sky Blues, according to Hansons’ football valuer, Alistair Lofley.
He said: “Several of the shirts were worn by players who helped Man City clinch the Premier League title after a 44-year wait in 2012.
“Most are affordable with guide prices starting from as little as £60-£80 for a match-worn Manchester City James Milner shirt.
“This is a great opportunity for City fans to buy a top worn by one of their sporting heroes – men who played their part in Manchester City’s formidable success in recent years.
“It’s pure coincidence that the auction falls on Black Friday, but if we help someone find the Christmas present of their dreams on that day, then we’ll be very pleased.”
The majority of the shirts were issued to stars who have now left Manchester City but a shirt issued to current player Eliaquim Mangala is in the mix, estimate £60-£80.
Other Manchester City shirts up for auction, all with estimates of £70-90 each, include ones issued to Emmanuel Adebayor, Gael Clichy, Gareth Barry, Stevan Jovetic, Maicon Sisenando, Abdul Razak, Micah Richards (signed), Aleksandar Kolarov, Kolo Toure, Samir Nasri, Scott Sinclair, goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon and two Jack Rodwell shirts which are both signed.
Shirts with an estimate of £60-£80 include a match-worn Javi Garcia top and a Yaya Toure glow-in-the-dark away shirt, also match worn. Another former City and Manchester United favourite, Carlos Tevez, has a shirt in the auction but it was issued to the Argentinian in a World Cup 2018 qualifer game, estimate £300-£400.
Manchester United fans aren’t completely left out. A pair of Phil Neville England Training tops, one signed, are also in the sale, estimate £40-£50.
Plus, there are shirts from other stars including one of the greatest players of all time – Lionel Messi. The top was issued to the Argentinian, who captains his national side as well as Spanish team Barcelona, when Argentina played Iran in the 2014 World Cup. Messi scored the winning goal in stoppage time to help Argentina beat Iran 1-0. The shirt is the most expensive on offer with a guide price of £600-£800.
Another item which could get football fans battling to bid is a Luis Suárez Uruguay World Cup Brazil 2014 shirt, estimate £200-£300.
Mr Lofley added: “There are shirts relating to other clubs and players too, such as a Wigan Athletic Emmerson Boyce shirt issued for an FA Cup semi-final match against Arsenal, a Bolton Wanderers Mark Davies shirt, a signed Jason Koumas Wigan Athletic shirt and a Darlington, Rob Purdie, 125th anniversary home shirt signed by the full Darlington Squad and match-worn.
“But there’s no doubt that Manchester City shirts, worn by famous faces who helped lift the Sky Blues to glory, dominate this collection.”
The football shirts will be sold in a Sports Memorabilia Auction at Hansons Auctioneers, Heage Lane, Etwall, Derbyshire, on Friday, November 23. To find out more, email [email protected] or call 01283 733988. View the catalogue and bid in advance or live by registering with www.the-saleroom.com.
