Andy Warhol portrait of OJ Simpson to be auctioned in New York

A portrait of controversial US football player OJ Simpson by the pioneering American artist Andy Warhol is set to go on auction for the first time.

The painting, part of Warhol's 1977 Athletes series, is signed by both the artist and Simpson.

It will go on auction at Phillips in New York City on 16 May, with an estimated value of $300,000 (£238,000).

It was at the Pro Football Hall of Fame before being bought by a collector in 2011.

Warhol's iconic Athletes series highlighted 10 of the most-celebrated athletes at the time, including football legend Pele, boxer Muhammad Ali and basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

As part of the series, the artist created multiple paintings of each subject.

Robert Manley, the deputy chairman of Phillips auction house, told the BBC on Friday that this painting is "to my eye, this is the best one of the series".

"It has the boldest, brightest colour," he said, referring to its orange and blue acrylic paint.

Mr Manley added that he believes the painting is a great example of Warhol's prolific work, particularly when it comes to documenting captivating or controversial American figures.

"What is fascinating about this painting is how it evolved over time," Mr Manley said, adding that it was made when Simpson was "one of the most famous and beloved athletes of his generation".

Once a high-profile American football star, in the 1990s Simpson became a suspect in one of the most high-profile murder cases in US history.

He was accused killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman. The trial gripped the US, and much of the rest of the world, for an entire year. He was found not guilty by a jury in 1995.

Simpson was later found liable for the deaths in a civil trial brought by the Brown and Goldman family and ordered to pay them $33.5m in damages.

In 2008, he was convicted of armed robbery and conspiracy to kidnap in Las Vegas in 2008. He was released on parole in 2017.

His story became that of a "tragic figure", Mr Manley said.

In the portrait, Simpson appears to be looking straight at the viewer with an "almost confrontational glare", he said, while holding a football next to his face.

His hands are painting with "active brushstrokes" that mimic movement, Mr Manley added.

A previous image of OJ Simpson was sold for $687,000, by Christie's auction house in 2019.

Last year, a painting of Marilyn Monroe by Warhol sold for $195m, making it the most expensive piece of 20th Century art ever sold.