To take his mind off the pressure of "the beautiful game", retired Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson collected vintage wines, that will be sold at auction starting in Hong Kong next month, Christie's said yesterday.

The collection of about 5,000 bottles will be sold along with memorabilia signed by Ferguson and has a pre-sale estimated value of £3 million (€3.6 million).

The cellar consists almost 75 per cent of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, a French Burgundy which Christie's international director of wine David Elswood said "is probably the wine in vogue, the wine of the moment in terms of demand".

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He expects big interest among Asian buyers, who have been snapping up top-flight wines for years and where about 60 per cent of the lots will be on offer on May 24th.

About a third of the cellar will be offered in London in June, and about 10 per cent through internet sales later that month.

The cellar spans every year of Ferguson’s career with United from 1986 until he retired in 2013.

The former manager says it became a ritual to treat visiting managers to a glass of his finest, and to accept gift bottles in return.

“Even though the rivalries are intense you have to find that moment where you can say, ‘look, the game’s a game – let’s carry on with our lives’,” Ferguson said. – (Reuters)