Trevor Francis: Remembering the Football Legend
TREVOR FRANCIS entered into the footballing hall of fame when he became England’s first ever £1million player. But now fans of the sports legend will be mourning his loss at the news of his death at age 69.
Trevor Francis on the pitch on May 13, 1978.
Credit: Getty
Who was Trevor Francis?
Trevor Francis was born on April 19, 1954 in Plymouth, where he showed early promise as a footballer at school.
He made his debut as a forward in 1970 for Birmingham City, where he made 280 appearances for the club.
In that time, he scored an impressive 119 goals, which meant when he departed the club for Nottingham Forest, he was a very valuable asset.
As a result, his transfer broke records and became the first £1million transfer in England, though his new manager, Brian Clough, claimed it was just shy of this amount by a penny to stop the pressure going to his new signing’s head.
Trevor Francis’ Football Career
He continued scoring goals for Nottingham Forest for the year he was there, scoring at his European debut for the club in 1979.
In 1980, after suffering from injuries, he moved to Manchester City in 1980 for £1.2million.
Injuries continued to be an issue for Francis, but he was still chosen to play in the 1982 World Cup squad for England, and scored twice in the first group stage.
Nearing the end of his playing career, Francis became player-manager for QPR, after which he took over managing Sheffield Wednesday from Ron Atkinson.
His last managerial role was at Crystal Palace, after which he retired from the beautiful game in 1994.
Outside of his footballing career, he was married to Helen, who sadly died in 2017.
How did Trevor Francis die?
Trevor Francis died at his apartment near Marbella in Spain today (July 24, 2023) of a suspected heart attack.
Francis previously suffered a heart attack 11 years ago and was admitted to the hospital in Bordesley Green.
He had a stent fitted but recovered well, with Birmingham FC’s official Twitter page sharing this update with fans: “Trevor Francis’ family have contacted the club to express their thanks at the overwhelming messages of support from Blues fans.”
Trevor Francis will always be remembered as a footballing legend and his contributions to the sport will never be forgotten. May he rest in peace.