The shirts off his back: Searching for Diego Maradona’s iconic jerseys

After the ‘Hand of God’ shirt sold for millions, the market for Maradona memorabilia is only set to grow, reports David Harding

England captain Kevin Keegan exchanges shirts with a teenage Diego Maradona after a friendly match at Wembley Stadium between England and Argentina on 13 May 1980 (Getty)

The news that Diego Maradona’s “Hand of God“ shirt sold for an astonishing £7.1m probably sent several ex-footballers frantically searching for any memorabilia they may have picked up if they ever shared a field with the great Argentinian.

The price paid out to former England midfielder Steve Hodge – who swapped shirts with Maradona after the famous 1986 World Cup quarter-final – confirms the strength of the sports collectables market, auctioneer, Antiques Road Trip regular and Derby County fan Charles Hanson tells The Independent.

“We are seeing vast sums for football memorabilia,” says Mr Hanson, comparing it even to the market paid out for more traditional art works.