A sculpture made by Pablo Picasso of George Best is among a series of sporting collectibles going under the hammer next month.
The two-day sporting legends memorabilia auction will see items from some of football’s most famous names sold off.
A total of 1,356 lots are expected to go on offer with an estimated sale value between £700,000 and £1.1m.
The items include trophies and matchday kit belonging to the Northern Ireland hero, with Graham Budd Auctions describing it as a rare opportunity to acquire Best-related memorabilia.
“It’s quite unique that there are so many different lots of his within the collection,” they said.
“To have someone who is such a current icon within this collection is quite the opportunity. George Best is probably one of the biggest we’ve done for a while.”
Belfast-born Best starred for club and country and was regarded by Brazilian football legend Pelé as “the greatest player in the world”.
His honours include the European Cup and two league titles with Manchester United.
Among the items to be auctioned is a 1968 player of the year trophy, estimated to fetch up to £50,000. It was awarded to Best by the Football Writers’ Association following the European Cup victory.
Best was widely known for his spectacular talent on the pitch and huge persona off it, earning him the title of one of football’s first superstars.
He made his international debut in 1964, picking up 37 caps for his country in his 13-year career.
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Bids will also be open for Best’s 1971/72 Northern Ireland cap from a match against the USSR, which is valued between £6,000 and £8,000. Northern Ireland was one of the few nations to offer caps to their players for appearances, making this one of the more unique lots in the collection.
The auction will also feature the rare opportunity to own a sculpture of Best made by the world-renowned Spanish artist Picasso. The current bid has exceeded its initial estimate, now sitting at £13,000.
A match-worn number 11 shirt from Benfica player António Simões, which Best exchanged at the end of the European Cup final, has an estimated price tag of between £3,000 and £5,000.
David Convery, head of Graham Budd auction, said: “For British football fans, there is no one quite as iconic as George Best, and the opportunity to own something that this sporting legend once wore is not to be missed.
“These incredible items offer fans the chance to really put themselves in the shoes of one of the greatest players of all time.”
Other lots include a collection of vintage rugby shirts worn by England rugby legend David Duckham, including the shirt he wore for the famous Barbarians vs All Blacks match in 1973 when Gareth Edwards scored what has become known as the “greatest try”.
The Thierry Henry Collection comprises 44 lots valued at £40,000-60,000, including his match-issued Champions League final shirt from 2006, valued at £2,000-3,000, and two FA Cup final match issued shirts from 2002 and 2003, worth £1,000-1,500 each.
The Pelé collection of 80 lots is valued at a total of £120,000-150,000. It includes Pelé’s 1954 Bauru AC juvenile championship medal valued at £8,000-12,000.
The auction is set to take place between December 3 and 4, with bids opening at 10am on both days.