A RARE and historic 20-year-old Blackburn Rovers shirt is coming up for sale next week — but it could cost between £15,000 and £20,000 to acquire.

The Asics blue and white short-sleeved shirt, with Rovers badge and McEwans sponsorship logo, is one of 22 shirts which are being sold together in one lot at Bonhams in Chester on Wednesday.

The shirts, all signed, are particularly rare and valuable because they are from every club which took part in the very first Premier League when it was launched in the 1992/93 season.

They have been put up for sale by Peter Ellis who was chairman of Queens Park Rangers during that initial campaign.

Mr Ellis arranged for the shirts to be signed and he then had them framed individually. It is thought to be a unique collection.

The Blackburn shirt is signed by about 18 Rovers stars.

Members of that outstanding Rovers team squad included Alan Shearer, Mike Newell, Bobby Mimms, Colin Hendry, Gordon Cowans and Tim Sherwood.

That season Rovers, then managed by Kenny Dalglish, finished fourth in the Premier League behind champions Manchester United, runners-up Aston Villa and third-placed Norwich City which was the Canaries’ highest-ever league position.

Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest were relegated from the league but clubs such as Wimbledon and Oldham Athletic stayed up.

Shearer was Rovers’ top scorer with 16 league goals, while Mike Newell scored 13. Rovers’ average league attendance that season was 16,246.