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You can tell a Manchester United fan from a mile away.

They always look happy. No wonder, really, when you consider that their team didn't get beaten in the Premier League until a couple of weeks ago and has been occupying the top spot pretty much all season. With pride, of course, comes loyalty - a loyalty reflected in the sports memorabilia markets.

Along with the usual suspects (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool), Manchester United memorabilia has been top of the sports memento league for Maglia Argentina Mondiali 2022 pretty much as long as anyone can remember.

Enthusiasts and supporters alike should be aware that the closing transfer window has injected a wedge of new players into the Man U squad: and brought about the shocking news that defensive legend Gary Neville is retiring "with immediate effect".

The inclusion of new squad members should be enough to get the sports memorabilia fan scrambling for the latest batch of signed photos, shirts and match programmes. Gary Neville's departure puts the seal on it for memento seekers of all stripes: and of course for Man U fans.

The signed Manchester United memorabilia currently in existence is the last lot that will ever bear the authenticated scrawl of one of England's greatest ever defenders.

Imagine knowing in advance that Alan Shearer or Gary Linker was vanishing from the football scene. That's the kind of stature that Gary Neville enjoys. He's the last of the great England players - the last surviving member of those teams that thrilled us all in 1996 and 2000.

The sports memorabilia bearing his name is the last of a generation.

Rarity is always a key factor in determining the wealth of any collectible item.

From first edition books to sports mementoes, the number of available existing instances of a signature, a title or a piece of kit has a direct influence on the way it is valued. That value is expressed in terms of money and pride. In the case of Manchester United memorabilia, and Manchester United fans, souvenirs bearing Gary Neville's name will become very rare very quickly - and will be held onto with the fierce pride that only a dedicated football supporter can muster.

Neville has been with Manchester United through their historic Champion's League victory; eight Premier League victories; three FA Cup wins; and two League Cups.

He's played at the highest level for his country on 85 occasions. And now he leaves Old Trafford for ever. The fans that have seen him as an embodiment of the spirit that Alex Ferguson instilled in a Manchester United team that came from nowhere in the early 1990s to dominate the home game forever, will remember him long after he has gone.

Signed Manchester United memorabilia is one way to do that.

In the weeks following Neville's departure, Manchester United's new signing will be settling into their club, hoping to follow in the defender's footsteps to cups and glory. The transfer window may have closed on Neville's story, but not on his legacy - and not on the sports memorabilia items still bearing his name.