Trevor Francis, England's first million-pound footballer, dies aged 69

Trevor Francis was in Spain when he suffered a fatal heart attack.

Francis was in his own apartment in Marbella, southern Spain when he died suddenly.

The news of Francis’ death came via a statement shared by Francis’ family. In it, they announced the circumstances of his death whilst also saying, “He was a legendary footballer but he was also an extremely nice person.”

Ex-England footballer and Match of the Day host Gary Lineker has tweeted a tribute in memory of Francis, saying, “Deeply saddened to hear that Trevor Francis has died. A wonderful footballer and lovely man. Was a pleasure to work alongside him both on the pitch and on the telly. RIP Trevor.”

Ex-Nottingham Forest striker Stan Collymore also tweeted his own tribute to Francis, saying, “Absolutely gutted that Trev has gone, they say never meet your heroes, well, I met mine and he was an absolute gentleman. Rest in peace, Ledge, one in a million.”

Ex-pro Chris Kamara also added his own thoughts upon hearing Francis had passed away, saying, “Got to know him well when Trevor was doing his Co Commentary’s for Sky a job he loved. RIP Trevor the first Million-pound player who always looked a million dollars.”

Trevor Francis is regarded by many in the know as one of the best English footballers of his generation.

Francis came through the ranks at Birmingham where he would go on to make 280 senior appearances and score 118 goals.

Francis would make the move to Nottingham Forest at the behest of legendary manager Brian Clough, the transfer fee was more than double the previous record, coming in at a whopping (for the time) £1,150,000.

Never one to miss a trick, Brian Clough was keen to take some pressure off his record signing, telling Francis the transfer fee was only £999,999 rather than the full million.

Nottingham Forest were already one of the best teams in Europe when they signed Francis, but it was his addition that saw them take the next step, winning two UEFA Cups in a row, with Francis scoring the winning goal in the 1979 final.

After Francis had spent an incredibly successful period at Forest, he would have a brief spell at Manchester City before spending time in Italy with Sampdoria and Atalanta.

After short stints at Rangers and Queens Park Rangers, Francis spent five seasons at Sheffield Wednesday, helping them reach both the League and FA Cup finals in 1993. He retired at the end of the 1994 season. At both QPR and Wednesday, Francis operated as a player-manager.

Alongside his successful club career, Francis was a key part of the England national side for over ten years, playing 52 times for his country and scoring 12 goals.

Upon retiring from playing, Francis took up a full-time management role at Birmingham where he spent six years in charge. He also spent three years at the helm with Crystal Palace.

After retiring from management, Francis spent time working as a pundit and broadcaster for both Sky Sports and BT Sports.