Birmingham hero Trevor Francis has died at the age of 69. The former striker became the first £1million football player when he joined Nottingham Forest from Birmingham for £1.18m in February 1979. He also played for current Premier League champions Manchester City for one season during his illustrious career.
A statement released on behalf of his family said: “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.”
Birmingham City Former Players Association said: “It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that Blues greatest ever player Trevor Francis passed away in Spain this morning at the age of 69. Trevor a striker played 329 games scoring 133 goals. He also managed the club 1996-2001 reaching the League Cup Final and numerous championship playoffs.
“For those of us who had the pleasure of seeing him play we know we will never see the like again. A truly sad day for everyone connected with Blues. The shock has not sunk in yet. Thoughts with his family and friends at this saddest of times RIP Legend.”
Francis came through the Birmingham academy before making his first-team debut for the west Midlands club as a 16-year-old in 1970. The lightning quick player went on to score 119 goals in 280 appearances for the Blues before linking-up with Brian Clough at the City Ground.
Just three months after making the move across the Midlands, Francis scored the winning goal as Forest defeated Swedish club Malmo 1-0 in the European Cup final to lift the European trophy for the first time. He also starred during Forest’s run to European success the following season, although he missed that final through injury as Clough’s team defeated German rivals Hamburger in the showpiece event.
Francis left Forest in 1981 to sign for Manchester City in a £1.2m move. And he was part of England’s 1982 World Cup squad, netting twice in the group stages.
Francis moved to Sampdoria following the World Cup and stayed at the club for four seasons before plying his trade with Atalanta for a year. After finishing his international career with 12 goals in 52 appearances, he returned to the United Kingdom to sign for Rangers in 1987, before having spells as player-manager at QPR and Sheffield Wednesday.
During his time in charge of Sheffield Wednesday, Francis led the club to the League Cup trophy and promotion to the top-flight in 1991. The former frontman finally hung up his boots in 1994 at the age of 39 and went on to manage Birmingham for five years and Crystal Palace for 18 months.
“I played professional football for 23 years until I was 39, I won European Cups with Nottingham Forest, I played 52 times over nine years for England, but whenever I go to a sporting occasion I’m always introduced as the first £1m footballer, as if that’s the only thing I achieved in my career,” Francis told The Guardian in 2019.
“I never realised at the time the significance of it. 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.”
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