A POCKET watch which once belonged to a top-flight footballer from Chirk is being put up for auction.

Billy Meredith played for both Manchester City and Manchester United in the early 1900s, and also featured for Wales 48 times.

The watch is set to go to auction on August 22, and is estimated between £2,000 and £4,000.

It features the message "Presented to W. Meredith, Manchester City FC, to commemorate winning the English Cup (FA Cup), 1903-1904".

Sheila Stevenson, 87, owns the watch, and said she thought the item was "just a nice gold watch".

She told the BBC: "Neither myself or my son Simon are big football fans.

"I never thought anything of it, just that it was a nice gold watch.

"I put it away in a drawer [for decades]."

Meredith's name is written in the history books of the current Premier League champions, as he holds the record for being their oldest player at the age of 47.

He played in the football league for 27 seasons, scoring more than 175 goals in all competitions.

Sports valuer for Hansons Auctioneers, Alistair Lofley, described Meredith as "an old-school Cristiano Ronaldo".

Hansons Auctioneers in Derbyshire will sell the watch at a Football in Focus and Sports Memorabilia Auction.