LONDON (Reuters) - The Manchester United shirt worn by George Best when he scored six goals against Northampton Town in 1970 sold at auction on Wednesday for 24,000 pounds.

Best's performance during the match is widely considered as one of his finest and drew praise from opponents and team-mates alike.

Roy Fairfax, the Northampton player who was marking the Northern Irish player, said afterwards: "The closest I got to him was when we shook hands after the game."

The red-and-white shirt was part of a soccer memorabilia sale at auction house Christie's.

The world record price for a football shirt at auction of 158,000 pounds paid in 2002 for Pele's shirt from the 1970 World Cup final.

Best, whose flamboyant life took him from the heights of sporting success at Manchester United to the depths of alcoholism, died aged 59 in November 2005.

The Northern Irishman, widely regarded as the only British footballer in the same league as Pele, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff, died in the London hospital where he had spent the final two months of his life, drifting in and out of consciousness.