Former Detroit Express star Trevor Francis, Britain's first 1 million pound player, dies
LONDON ― Trevor Francis, a former England forward who became Britain’s first 1 million pound soccer player when he moved to Nottingham Forest from Birmingham in 1979, has died. He was 69.
Francis died in Spain after a heart attack, his family said Monday. He spent half the year in Spain and the rest in England.
Between his time with Birmingham City and Forest, Francis was loaned to the Detroit Express of the NASL and scored 22 goals in 19 matches from 1978-79.
“Nottingham Forest is deeply saddened to learn the passing of two-time European Cup winner, Trevor Francis,” Forest wrote on Twitter. “A true Forest legend who will never be forgotten.”
Shortly after his record move to Forest, Francis headed in the winner in the 1-0 victory over Malmo in the 1979 European Cup final. Francis missed the European Cup final win over Hamburg a year later because of injury and joined Manchester City in 1981.
“I’m absolutely devastated to hear about my old teammate Trevor Francis,” said former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, a member of Forest’s European Cup-winning teams of 1979 and 1980, “such a wonderful gentleman, a friend, and a terrible loss.”
Francis made 52 appearances for England’s national team and later guided Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham to major finals as a manager.
“We are deeply saddened by the news,” the English Football Association wrote on Twitter. “He scored 12 goals, including two at the 1982 @FIFAWorldCup, for the #ThreeLions between 1977 and 1986. All of our thoughts are with his family, friends and former clubs.”
Francis made his debut for Birmingham in 1970 when he was 16. In 1971, he became the youngest player to score four times in Football League history in a 4-0 win over Bolton.
Spells at Sampdoria, where he won the Italian Cup, Atalanta, Rangers and Queens Park Rangers — where he was player-manager — followed. He moved to Sheffield Wednesday in 1990 and eventually replaced Ron Atkinson as manager.
“Trevor will forever be revered as a giant of the club, the player everyone wanted to see,” Birmingham wrote on Twitter. “He represented Blues on 330 occasions, scoring 133 goals.”
Francis’ wife Helen passed away in 2017 after a battle with cancer.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former England, Detroit Express striker Trevor Francis dies at 69
