Former England and Nottingham Forest midfielder Trevor Francis, Britain’s first £1m player, dies aged 69

Trevor Francis, the former England and Nottingham Forest midfielder who won the European Cup twice with the club, has passed away at the age of 69. He died on Monday in Marbella.

“Trevor Francis has died at the age of 69. He had a heart attack at his apartment in Spain this morning,” his family said in a statement.

“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.”

Francis made history as the first player to sign for Nottingham Forest for over £1 million in 1979, setting a British record at the time.

Francis won consecutive European Cups with Nottingham Forest, including scoring the winning goal in the final against Malmo in 1979.

Francis had a successful football career playing for clubs like Manchester City, Sampdoria, Atalanta, Rangers, QPR, and Sheffield Wednesday. He played both in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Former midfielder Trevor Francis, who also earned 52 caps for England, has received tributes from his former teammate Gary Lineker on social media.

“Deeply saddened to hear that Trevor Francis has died,” he tweeted. “A wonderful footballer and lovely man. Was a pleasure to work alongside him both on the pitch and on the telly. RIP Trevor.”

Francis had a successful managerial career after retiring as a player, reaching cup finals with Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City.