Best jersey sold for £24,000

The jersey worn by George Best during the Manchester United versus Northampton Town FA Cup match in 1970, when he scored six goals and played arguably his finest ever football performance, sold today at Christie's for £24,000 (€35,500).

Further highlights of today's sale included 1970 FA Cup Winners medal awarded to Chelsea Captain Ron "Chopper" Harris which sold for £13,200 (€19,500) and the shirt worn by World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore in his last ever English League match which was sold for £3,600 (€5,300).

George Best is remembered as one of the finest players to have graced British football; Pelé referred to him as "greatest player in the world" and he earned the title of both European Footballer of the Year and Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year in 1968.

Arguably his most famous and impressive performance was in the fifth round match of the FA Cup in 1970 against Northampton Town which Manchester United won 8-1.

Best set a then-record for the competition by scoring 6 goals as he single-handedly destroyed the team at the County Ground in Northampton with a range of skills, flicks, dribbles and headers.

Best was being marked by Northampton player Roy Fairfax who said after the game that "the closest I got to him was when we shook hands after the game".

After a fierce bidding battle at today's auction, the shirt was eventually bought by an anonymous buyer in the room.