Former England and Nottingham Forest midfielder, Trevor Francis, has passed away at the age of 69.
He achieved great success during his career, notably winning the European Cup twice with Nottingham Forest. Francis breathed his last 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 embarked on his football journey with Birmingham City, but his name etched into history when he made a groundbreaking move to Nottingham Forest in 1979.
The transfer fee of over £1 million marked a British record, making him the first player to be transferred for such a colossal sum.
His time at Nottingham Forest proved to be monumental, as he achieved back-to-back European Cups under the guidance of the legendary Brian Clough.
Notably, Francis scored the decisive goal in the final against Malmo in 1979, securing the victory for his team.
Subsequently, in 1981, Francis joined Manchester City before venturing abroad to play for Sampdoria and Atalanta. However, he eventually returned to the United Kingdom to conclude his career with stints at Rangers, QPR, and Sheffield Wednesday.
Throughout his illustrious career, the former midfielder earned 52 caps while representing England. His fellow England teammate, Gary Lineker, paid a heartfelt tribute to Francis 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 moved into management after hanging up his boots, reaching the finals of the FA Cup and League Cup with Sheffield Wednesday and also guiding Birmingham City to a League Cup final during his time in charge.