The 1970 album was the first to be distributed in the UK in advance of the Mexico World Cup, where England’s 1966 world champion squad was knocked out 3-2 by Germany in the quarter-finals.

Printed by Edizioni Panini in Modena, Italy, the iconic album features past football heroes, such as West Ham and England skipper Bobby Moore, Germany’s Franz Beckenbauer, and the victorious 1970 Brazil 11’s centre-forward, Pelé, who would retire from international football just one year later.

The album was consigned by Andrew Knott of Arthingworth, who received the album already-complete as a 12th birthday present from his aunt, who worked at Panini’s Leicester-based UK distributors, Thorpe and Porter.

Sold at Gildings auctioneers, the album had lost just two of its stickers in its 53-year existence.

Gildings director Will Gilding said: “As an example of the debut World Cup album that started the enduring worldwide craze of Panini football sticker collecting, it was no surprise to see the huge levels of interest this special piece of memorabilia attracted at the auction.

“In the end, a UK-based collector managed to outbid interest from Belgium, Italy, Portugal and other parts of the UK to secure it.”

Knott said: “As it was such a thoughtful and unusual present from my aunt all those years ago, I’ve kept it ever since.

“But after over half a century in my possession, it was time to part with it and it was great to be in the room to see it go to a new home where it will be appreciated for years to come.”