Trevor Francis dies aged 69 - Tributes to former England and Nottingham Forest footballer

Former Nottingham Forest and England icon Trevor Francis has died aged 69 at his home in Marbella.

The two-time European Cup winner was regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and he was the first British footballer in history to command a transfer fee of £1 million.

Francis enjoyed a glittering football career which saw him play for the likes of Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City, Sampdoria, Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday.

He also represented the England national team on 52 occasions and was a member of Ron Greenwood’s England team during the 1982 World Cup.

But what was the cause of Trevor Francis’ death and how has the footballing world reacted to the news?

Here is everything you need to know.

Trevor Francis cause of death

Francis is said to have died at his apartment near Marbella in Spain on Monday (24 July).

A short statement released on behalf of his family reads: “Trevor Francis has died at the age of 69. He had a heart attack at his apartment in Spain this morning. On behalf of his family, this has come as a huge shock. We are all very upset. He was a legendary footballer but he was also an extremely nice person.”

Who was Trevor Francis?

Francis was an English footballer who enjoyed an incredible 24 year playing career from 1970 to 1994.

He rose to prominence during a nine-year spell at Birmingham City where he established himself as one of the leading strikers in English football.

This success caught the attention of Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough who signed the striker and made him the first £1 million British footballer in history.

Francis lived up to the price tag in perfect fashion and scored the winner in the 1979 European Cup final against Malmo FF.

The forward helped his side retain the European crown the following year in 1980.

The striker enjoyed later spells at Manchester City, Sampdoria, Atalanta and Rangers before becoming player-manager at QPR in 1988.

Francis enjoyed further stints in management with Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham City and Crystal Palace between 1991 and 2003.

Trevor Francis tributes

A number of high-profile figures in football have paid tribute to Francis.

Match of the Day host Gary Lineker described his former international team mate as a lovely man. He tweeted: “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.”

Former Sky Sports pundit Chris Kamara added: “Oh no, just heard Trevor Francis has passed away. What a player he was & what a gentleman. Got to know him well when Trevor was doing his co-commentary for SKY, a job he loved. RIP Trevor, the first million pound player who always looked a million dollars.”

Nottingham Forest football club tweeted: “Nottingham Forest is deeply saddened to learn the passing of two-time European Cup winner Trevor Francis. A true Forest legend who will never be forgotten.”

Former England goalkeeper, Peter Shilton, tweeted: “I’m absolutely devastated to hear about my old team mate Trevor Francis. Such a wonderful gentleman and a friend and a terrible loss.”