The Italian-born sticker enthusiast splashes out £3,500 a year filling his albums that are now worth a fortune

For most people, collecting football stickers is a mere hobby, but for this 54-year-old Panini enthusiast it has become a rite of passage.

At the age of 19, Gianni began collecting stickers professionally and he now splashes out around £3,500 every year on filling his albums.

The Italian has built up a vast collection that covers all the leagues across the globe, including his native Serie A to the Finnish Veikkausliiga.

But spending vast sums of money doesn't bother the eccentric collector, who believes he would make a mint if he was to sell what he has amassed.

Gianni owns the coveted 1970 Mexico World Cup album, which is worth around £9,000 alone.

“Yes, I have spent most of my money on this collection. But I don’t regret it," he said.

“Stickers are not just about sport, the stickers are culture.

A completed edition of the 1970 Mexico World Cup Panini album is a rare sight, and is has been called the 'Holy Grail' by sticker addicts around the world.

Because of his passion, Gianni has become a major celebrity in the sticker-collecting world.

He even gets invited to major sports launches where he gets to meet his heroes and mingle with the stars.

Despite Gianni’s hobby taking up a lot of his personal time, his wife, Giovanna, is just happy that it keeps him out of the boozer.