Sergio Aguero's title-winning Manchester City shirt to be sold

Aguero tore off the shirt, which is stained with both mud and champagne, in celebration after his goal

The shirt worn by Sergio Aguero when he scored in the last minute to win Manchester City their first Premier League title is being sold.

The striker's goal in the 93rd minute against QPR on 13 May 2012 secured City's first league title in 44 years.

Graham Budd Auctions (GBA) said the "iconic" mud and champagne-stained shirt could sell for more than £46,000.

A spokeswoman said it was being sold to raise money for Testicular Cancer UK and the Stroke Association.

She said any proceeds of the sale would be split between the seller Neville Evans, who was supporting someone with a "prolonged illness", and the charities and as such, the auction house had waived its commission.

Aguero described the goal as "the best moment of my life"

GBA chief executive Adam Gascoigne said the shirt was "iconic", as it represented "one of the most important pieces in the history of the Premier League".

Aguero's goal has gone down in football history as one of the most dramatic winners of all time.

With the dreams of a first league title in 44 years slipping away, the Argentine striker popped up at the death of Manchester City's final match of the 2011/12 season to steal the trophy from under the noses of arch rivals Manchester United and step into his club's folklore.

The striker, who won 15 major trophies in 10 years with City and is the fourth-highest scoring player in Premier League history with an impressive 184 goals in 275 games, recently unveiled a statue marking the tenth anniversary of the goal.

Aguero, who retired in December 2021 to protect his health, described the goal as "the best moment of my life".

Shirt 'never claimed'

Mr Evans, who owns the National Football Shirt Collection, said it had come to him completely by chance, thanks to the forgetfulness of Aguero's teammate, the mercurial Mario Balotelli.

He said that when City's players returned to the dressing room after being presented with the Premier League trophy on the pitch, Balotelli asked the Argentine for his shirt as a souvenir.

Aguero agreed and the Italian striker put the shirt in his kit bag, alongside a commemorative T-shirt, the shirt he had received in a swap with QPR's Taye Taiwo and his playing shorts, but "then left the stadium without his bag", he said.

Mario Balotelli (above, left) asked Sergio Aguero (above, right) for his shirt as souvenir after the game

He said it was found the following day and sent to the club's training ground, but Balotelli never claimed it, so its contents were eventually gifted to the National Football Shirt Collection.

He added that he had "never had any intention" of selling the shirt previously, but wanted to support his collection's curator, who was "requiring ongoing critical medical care".

• Sergio Aguero goal 'still gives goose bumps' 10 years on

• Title-winning goal 'changed everything' for Manchester City

• How a dramatic final day unfolded in the 2011/12 title race

The shirt will be auctioned in a sale which also includes a number of other famous Premier League shirts, including two with connections to City's fierce rivals United.

A shirt worn by Eric Cantona in 1996, part of the infamous "invisible" grey kit which United manager Sir Alex Ferguson ordered his players to change mid-game due to issues with them being able to see each other on the pitch, is expected to fetch about £10,000.

Also being sold is an Arsenal shirt worn by Patrick Vieira in 2005, when he had a bust-up with United captain Roy Keane in the tunnel before a match at Old Trafford, which is estimated to be worth up to £6,000.

The shirts will go under the hammer on 24 May.

The sale comes a few weeks after a shirt worn by Aguero's Argentine compatriot Maradona when he scored his famous "Hand of God" goal against England in the 1996 World Cup sold for a record £7.1m.