NRL legend Johnathan Thurston buys the most expensive Mustang as a retirement present

Johanthan Thurston snared the keys to the 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake at an auction on the Gold Coast in Queensland.

Footy great Johnathan Thurston has been handed the keys to one of the most expensive Mustangs ever made as a retirement gift.

The rugby league star hung up his boots this year after a career spanning 16 seasons and as a gift to himself he bought the classic vehicle.

The 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake is rare with only 50 made and Thurston managed to snag one for about $NZ433,000, The Courier-Mail reported.

This Mustang is even more special than others as only two of its kind rolled off the production line with right-hand drive.

Johnathan Thurston of the Cowboys in action during the round 25 NRL match between the Gold Coast Titans and the North Queensland Cowboys. Photo / Getty

Thurston's manager Sam Ayoub flew to the Gold Coast ahead of the Lloyds auction last month to haggle on Thurston's behalf.

In June 2016, Johnathan announced his retirement, telling The Courier-Mail that he would finish up at the North Queensland Cowboys by the end of 2018.

It will be a busy year ahead, as his wife Samantha announced in August that she was pregnant with the couple's fourth child.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Johnathan Thurston (@jthurston06)

Thurston made his NRL debut for the Canterbury Bulldogs in 2002 before heading north of the border in 2005.

He is the only player to win the Dally M Medal four times - an award given to the best NRL player of the season.

Thurston represented Australian every year from 2006 to 2017 and played 36 consecutive matches for Queensland following his 2005 Origin debut.