:format(webp)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/grupoclarin/XJGYGEVAANA2TG4CTSZIRRKA2M.jpg "Trevor Francis, first British footballer to be paid a million pounds, dies")
LONDON (AP) —
Trevor Francis, the England striker who became the first Great Britain player to be sold for a million pounds when he was transferred to Nottingham Forest from Birmingham in 1979, has died. He was 69 years old.
Francis died in Spain after suffering a heart attack, his family reported. He spent half the year in Spain and the rest in England.
“Nottingham Forest is very saddened to learn of the death of two-time European Cup winner Trevor Francis,” Forest wrote on Twitter. “A true Forest legend that will never be forgotten.”
Shortly after his record-breaking move to Forest, Francis headed in the winning goal 1–0 against Swedish Malmo in the 1979 European Cup final. Francis missed the subsequent European Cup final, which Forest beat German Hamburg, due to injury. He was transferred to Manchester City in 1981.
“I am totally devastated by the news about Trevor Francis,” said Peter Shilton, a former England goalkeeper and Forest player who reigned in Europe in 1979 and 1980. “A wonderful gentleman and friend. What a terrible loss.”
Francis made 52 appearances for England and scored 12 goals, including two at the 1982 World Cup. He also led Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham in cup finals as manager.
Francis made his Birmingham debut in 1970 when he was just 16 years old. In 1971, he became the youngest player to score four goals in a league game, in a 4-0 win over Bolton.
He also had stages as a player in Sampdoria, where he won the Italian Cup, Atalanta, Rangers and Queens Park Rangers.
Francis’s wife, Helen, passed away in 2017, after a battle with cancer.