Explainers

FORMER England striker Trevor Francis has died aged 69.Here we look at the career of the iconic striker who became English football’s first player to be sold for £1million in the 70s.
Trevor Francis at the FIFA World Cup in 1982Credit: Getty
When did Trevor Francis play for Birmingham City?
Trevor started off playing football at school in Plymouth before joining Birmingham City.
He made his debut in 1970 when he was only 16 years old.
During his time with the club, he scored 119 goals in just 280 appearances.
How much was Trevor Francis’ transfer to Nottingham Forest?
Trevor became the first British footballer to request a £1million transfer fee when he joined Forest in 1979.
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The club’s manager at the time, Brian Clough, claimed the official price was £999,999 to make sure the pressure didn’t go to Trevor’s head.
During his time with Forest, he scored a total of 28 goals in 70 appearances.
He also scored the winning goal in the 1979 European Cup final.
Speaking in an interview in 2019 about being the first one million pound player, Trevor said: “I never realised at the time the significance of it,” he says.
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“I smashed, literally smashed, the transfer record. Doubled it. It was just a magical figure – a million pounds. Paris Saint-Germain spent nearly £200m on Neymar, but I don’t think it has the same magical appeal that £1m did. Do I feel proud of being the first £1m player? Absolutely.”
Which other teams did Trevor Francis play for?
Trevor was eventually sold to Manchester City in 1981 after his spell with Forest.
He also played for Sampdoria, Atalanta, Rangers, Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday.
The footballer won 52 caps for England scoring 12 goals between 1977 and 1986.
He also featured at the 1982 World Cup in Spain before retiring from football in 1994.
How did Trevor Francis die?
On July 24, 2023, it was reported that Trevor passed away at his home in Marbella.
A statement said: “Trevor Francis has died at the age of 69. He had a heart attack at his apartment in Spain this morning.
“On behalf of the family, this has come as a huge shock to everybody. We are all very upset.
“He was a legendary footballer but he was also an extremely nice person.” More

FOOTBALL fans are mourning the death of Trevor Francis, who has passed away aged 69.Due to his surname, during his life some fans wondered if he was related to fellow footy star Gerry Francis.
Fans want to know if Trevor Francis and Gerry Francis are related
Are Gerry Francis and Trevor Francis related?
Despite sharing the same surname, Gerry Francis and the late Trevor Francis are not related.
As they were both footballers, some fans were curious to know if they were brothers.
But they aren’t members of the same family, with Trevor growing up in Plymouth, and Gerry in London.
Trevor is survived by his brother Ian, and sister Carolyn.
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Who is Gerry Francis?
Born on December 6, 1951, Gerry Francis made his first team debut for Queens Park Rangers against Liverpool in March 1969.
He was captain and central midfield player during the 1970s and was a key player in the QPR side, which came close to winning their first-ever league title in 1976.
Gerry won 12 caps for the England team between 1974 and 1976, and was captain for eight of those matches.
His International career was limited by a persistent back injury.
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From the early 80s he switched his career to being a manager.
Who was Trevor Francis?
Born April 19, 1954, Trevor Francis was a former footballer and manager.
He began his career as a schoolboy for Plymouth United before he joined Birmingham City.
In 1970, the forward made his debut aged just 16 and went on to net an impressive 119 goals in 280 appearances.
The icon was England’s first-ever £1million player and was instrumental in helping Brian Clough’s Forest win the European Cup in 1979.
He later managed both QPR and Sheffield Wednesday – famously causing Eric Cantona to storm out after a trial for the Owls.
Trevor died at his apartment near Marbella in Spain on July 24, 2023 with efforts now being made to repatriate his body.
It is reported the former footballer suffered a heart attack.
Veteran ITV sports presenter and close pal Gary Newbon said: “This is obviously a terrible shock for Trevor and his family and friends.
“He was revered throughout football and has his place assured in the history of the game.
“But he was also an incredibly kind and popular man, who will be greatly missed by so, so many people.”
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Gary told how Francis had a stent fitted following a heart attack 12 years ago but appeared to be in good health.
He added: “Since then he had stayed in incredible shape. He power-walked daily and barely drank. That’s why this comes as such a shock.” More

TREVOR FRANCIS entered into the footballing hall of fame when he became England’s first ever £1million player.But now fans of the sporting legend will be mourning his loss after the news of his death at age 69 broke earlier today (July 24, 2023.)
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 score 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.
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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.
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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 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.” More

ENGLAND’s first-ever £1million player Trevor Francis had died aged 69.The sports star sadly passed away at his apartment near Marbella in Spain.
England legend Trevor Francis has sadly passed awayCredit: Getty
Who are Trevor Francis’ children?
Francis leaves behind two children.
Not much is known about Francis’ children, with the late star appearing to keep his personal life out of the spotlight.
Who was Trevor’s wife Helen Francis?
In 2017, Francis was left heartbroken when his beloved wife Helen died.
The couple had been together for 45 years prior to her passing.
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In his autobiography, One In A Million, Francis opened up on how life without Helen had been “so difficult”.
Francis said: “It’s so hard because of the deep love I had for Helen and also because I am useless in the house. She did everything for me. I don’t mind admitting that.
“All of a sudden I am living by myself and I suppose I never contemplated this would ever happen. It is a tougher challenge than anything I ever faced in football.”
How did Trevor Francis die?
On July 24, 2023, it was announced that Francis had died at his apartment near Marbella in Spain.
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He died after suffering a heart attack, his family confirmed.
A statement said: “Trevor Francis has died at the age of 69. He had a heart attack at his apartment in Spain this morning.
“On behalf of the family, this has come as a huge shock to everybody. We are all very upset.
“He was a legendary footballer but he was also an extremely nice person.”
Which teams did Trevor Francis play for?
Francis began his career as a schoolboy for Plymouth before he joined Birmingham City.
In 1970, at the age of 16, the footballer made his debut and went on to net an impressive 119 goals in 280 appearances.
Francis became the first British footballer to command a £1million transfer fee when he moved from Birmingham to Forest in 1979 – and he made a lasting impression with the club thanks to his world-famous European Cup-winning goal in 1979.
The rest of Francis’ time with the club was blighted by injury but he still managed to secure a £1.2million fee to move to Man City in 1980.
Francis also made the England squad for the 1982 World Cup where he scored twice in the first group stage.
Read More on The Sun
He later went on to have stints at Italian giants Sampdoria and later Atalanta before moving back to the UK to play for Rangers.
Francis later managed both QPR and Sheffield Wednesday – famously causing Eric Cantona to storm out after a trial for the Owls –  before hanging up his boots for good in 1994 after a last managerial role at Crystal Palace. More