Trevor Francis facts for kids
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Francis in Amsterdam in 1980
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Trevor John Francis | ||
| Date of birth | 19 April 1954 | ||
| Place of birth | Plymouth, England | ||
| Date of death | 24 July 2023 (aged 69) | ||
| Place of death | Marbella, Spain | ||
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1969–1970 | Birmingham City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1970–1979 | Birmingham City | 280 | (118) |
| 1978 | → Detroit Express (loan) | 19 | (22) |
| 1979–1981 | Nottingham Forest | 70 | (28) |
| 1979 | → Detroit Express (loan) | 14 | (14) |
| 1981–1982 | Manchester City | 26 | (12) |
| 1982–1986 | Sampdoria | 67 | (17) |
| 1986–1987 | Atalanta | 21 | (1) |
| 1987–1988 | Rangers | 18 | (1) |
| 1988–1990 | Queens Park Rangers | 32 | (12) |
| 1988 | → Wollongong City (loan) | 3 | (2) |
| 1990–1994 | Sheffield Wednesday | 76 | (5) |
| Total | 626 | (231) | |
| National team | |||
| 1977–1986 | England | 52 | (12) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1988–1989 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| 1991–1995 | Sheffield Wednesday | ||
| 1996–2001 | Birmingham City | ||
| 2001–2003 | Crystal Palace | ||
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Trevor John Francis (born April 19, 1954 – died July 24, 2023) was a famous English footballer. He played as a forward for many clubs in England, the United States, Italy, Scotland, and Australia. In 1979, he made history by becoming Britain's first player to be sold for £1 million. This happened when he moved from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest.
Trevor Francis scored the winning goal for Nottingham Forest in the 1979 European Cup final. He helped his team win the European Cup again the next year. He also played for the England team 52 times between 1976 and 1986, scoring 12 goals. He even played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. After his playing career, Francis became a football manager for several clubs, including Queens Park Rangers and Sheffield Wednesday.
Contents
Early Life and Football Start
Trevor John Francis was born in Plymouth, England. He went to school in Plymouth. From a young age, he was a very quick and skilled forward. He joined Birmingham City as a schoolboy, showing his talent early on.
Playing Career Highlights
Starting at Birmingham City
Trevor Francis quickly became a star player. He played his first game for Birmingham City's main team in 1970 when he was just 16 years old. Before his 17th birthday, he scored four goals in one game against Bolton Wanderers. In his first full season, he scored 15 goals in only 22 games. People noticed his amazing skills right away.
In the 1970s, Birmingham City was not always at the top of the league. This made Trevor Francis's great performances stand out even more. One of his most famous goals was in 1976 against Queens Park Rangers. He dribbled past two defenders and shot the ball from far away, surprising the goalkeeper.
Playing in America
In 1978, Trevor Francis went to play for the Detroit Express in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in the USA. He scored 22 goals in just 19 league games. He was even named one of the best players in the league alongside famous stars like Franz Beckenbauer. He returned to Detroit for another summer season in 1979, scoring 14 goals in 14 games.
Making History with Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest, led by manager Brian Clough, bought Trevor Francis in 1979. They paid just over £1 million for him. This was a huge amount of money at the time. No player had ever been sold for a million pounds between English clubs before! This made him Britain's first "million-pound player."
Brian Clough famously said he paid £999,999 to make sure Trevor didn't get a big head. But Trevor Francis later said it was just a joke.
Forest had already won the League Cup and were doing well in the European Cup. Trevor Francis could not play in the European Cup until the final game. In May 1979, Forest played against Malmö from Sweden in the final in Munich.
Just before half-time, Forest's winger John Robertson crossed the ball. Trevor Francis ran fast and threw himself at the ball, heading it powerfully into the net. This goal won the match 1–0 for Forest! Footage of this goal was shown for years on the TV show Match of the Day. A big picture of Trevor heading the ball is still displayed at Forest's stadium, the City Ground.
Even though he was a huge success, Trevor Francis often played on the right wing for Forest, not his favourite central forward position. He missed the 1980 European Cup Final due to an injury.
Moving to Manchester City and Italy
In 1981, Trevor Francis was sold to Manchester City for £1.2 million. He started well, scoring two goals in his first game. However, he often got injured during his time there.
Later, in 1982, he moved to Italy to play for Sampdoria. He helped them win the 1984–85 Coppa Italia, which was their first time winning that competition. He played alongside Scotland midfielder Graeme Souness there. In 1986, he joined another Italian club, Atalanta, for one season.
Later Career in Britain
Trevor Francis came back to Britain in 1987 to play for Rangers in Scotland. He won the 1987–88 Scottish League Cup with them.
In 1988, he joined Queens Park Rangers as a player. He later became their player-manager. He then moved to Sheffield Wednesday in 1990. He helped them win the League Cup in 1991, though he was a substitute in the final. He also helped them get promoted back to the top league. He stopped playing football in 1994, just before his 40th birthday.
Playing for England
Trevor Francis played for the England team 52 times between 1977 and 1986, scoring 12 goals. He played in the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. In that tournament, he scored goals against Czechoslovakia and Kuwait. England was later knocked out after drawing two games. His last game for England was in 1986.
Managerial Career
Sheffield Wednesday Manager
After he stopped playing, Trevor Francis became the manager of Sheffield Wednesday in 1991. He led them to a third-place finish in the league in 1992. The next year, his team reached both the FA Cup and League Cup finals, but they lost both to Arsenal. He left Sheffield Wednesday in 1995.
A famous story from his time as manager was when he almost signed French star Eric Cantona. Cantona came for a trial, but because of snow, Francis could only see him play on an artificial pitch. He wanted to see Cantona play on grass, but Cantona left and later became a huge success at Leeds United and Manchester United.
Managing Birmingham City
In 1996, Trevor Francis became the manager of his old club, Birmingham City. He led them to the 2001 League Cup Final, where they lost to Liverpool in a penalty shootout. He left Birmingham City in 2001.
Crystal Palace Manager
His last job as a manager was at Crystal Palace from 2001 to 2003. During his time there, Palace beat Liverpool in an FA Cup game and won a big match against their rivals, Brighton & Hove Albion. He was dismissed in 2003.
Personal Life
Trevor Francis married Helen in 1974, and they had two children. Helen passed away in 2017.
Trevor Francis died on July 24, 2023, at his home in Spain. He was 69 years old.
Honours and Achievements
Trevor Francis achieved many great things as a player and manager:
As a Player
- European Cup: 1979, 1980 (with Nottingham Forest)
- European Super Cup: 1979 (with Nottingham Forest)
- Coppa Italia: 1985 (with Sampdoria)
- Scottish League Cup: 1988 (with Rangers)
- Football League Cup: 1991 (with Sheffield Wednesday)
- PFA First Division Team of the Year: 1977, 1978, 1982 (recognised as one of the best players in the league)
As a Manager
- FA Cup runner-up: 1993 (with Sheffield Wednesday)
- Football League Cup runner-up: 1993 (with Sheffield Wednesday), 2001 (with Birmingham City)
- Premier League Manager of the Month: December 1993
See also
In Spanish: Trevor Francis para niños
