Birmingham hero Trevor Francis has died on the age of 69. The previous striker grew to become the primary £1million soccer participant when he joined Nottingham Forest from Birmingham for £1.18m in February 1979. He additionally performed for present Premier League champions Manchester Metropolis for one season throughout his illustrious profession.
Francis got here by way of the Birmingham academy earlier than making his first-team debut for the west Midlands membership as a 16-year-old in 1970. The lightning fast participant went on to attain 119 targets in 280 appearances for the Blues earlier than linking-up with Brian Clough on the Metropolis Floor.
Simply three months after making the transfer throughout the Midlands, Francis scored the successful purpose as Forest defeated Swedish membership Malmo 1-Zero within the European Cup ultimate to carry the European trophy for the primary time. He additionally starred throughout Forest’s run to European success the next season, though he missed that ultimate by way of damage as Clough’s group defeated German rivals Hamburger within the showpiece occasion.
Francis left Forest in 1981 to signal for Manchester Metropolis in a £1.2m transfer. And he was a part of England’s 1982 World Cup squad, netting twice within the group levels.
Francis moved to Sampdoria following the World Cup and stayed on the membership for 4 seasons earlier than plying his commerce with Atalanta for a yr. After ending his worldwide profession with 12 targets in 52 appearances, he returned to the UK to signal for Rangers in 1987, earlier than having spells as player-manager at QPR and Sheffield Wednesday.
Throughout his time answerable for Sheffield Wednesday, Francis led the membership to the League Cup trophy and promotion to the top-flight in 1991. The previous frontman lastly hung up his boots in 1994 on the age of 39 and went on to handle Birmingham for 5 years and Crystal Palace for 18 months.
“I performed skilled soccer for 23 years till I used to be 39, I received European Cups with Nottingham Forest, I performed 52 occasions over 9 years for England, however each time I am going to a sporting event I’m at all times launched as the primary £1m footballer, as if that’s the one factor I achieved in my profession,” Francis informed The Guardian in 2019.
“I by no means realised on the time the importance of it. I smashed, actually smashed, the switch file. Doubled it. It was only a magical determine – 1,000,000 kilos. Paris Saint-Germain spent practically £200m on Neymar, however I don’t suppose it has the identical magical attraction that £1m did. Do I really feel pleased with being the primary £1m participant? Completely.”