Sir Stanley Matthews' first football contract shows he earned £5-a-week

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Sir Stanley Matthews earned £5-a-week when he signed his first professional football contract Credit: PA

The football contract of one of Britain's most 'magical' players will be auctioned off later this month - and it shows that Sir Stanley Matthews earned a very modest fee when he signed his first professional deal in 1932.

When "the wizard of the dribble" first joined Stoke City, he earned £5-a -week and £3-a-week during the summer months.

A second contract shows that Matthew's pay rose to £7-a-week in 1935 and £8 if he made it onto the first team - in modern terms, that's equivalent to £350 a year.

Sir Stanley's first contract reads:

Matthews went on to play for Blackpool in 1947, before returning to play for Stoke again in 1961.

His football contracts will be sold at an auction on August 22 at Hansons Auctioneers in Derbyshire.