Manchester United sign shirt sponsorship deal with AIG

MANCHESTER, Apr 6 (Reuters) Manchester United, English soccer's most famous club, announced a four-year shirt sponsorship deal with U.S.

insurance company AIG Inc today worth 56.5 million pounds (98.98 million dollar).

The deal, the biggest of its kind in English football, will start next season and was hailed as ''a blue chip deal for a blue chip club'' by United chief executive David Gill.

''This is a deal that is right for Manchester United and it underlines our position as the world's leading club,'' Gill told a news conference.

''AIG's global operations complement our great fan base and we are excited about the global prospects this relationship brings.'' United's nine million pounds a year deal with current shirt sponsors Vodafone finishes at the end of this season.

United, second in the Premier League behind champions Chelsea, are in their first season under the control of American billionaire Malcolm Glazer and his family.

REUTERS PDS RAI2057