Trevor Francis' prized European Cup medals and Diego Maradona shirt up for auction
The treasured medals and keepsakes of the legendary Trevor Francis are up for sale, with a staggering £70,000 expected for the collection. Highlights of the sale include his two European Cup winner's medals, a selection of England caps and shirts, as well as a jersey swapped with none other than Diego Maradona.
Tragically, the former Birmingham City and Nottingham Forest icon, who became the first footballer to command a million-pound transfer fee, passed away last year at 69 due to a heart attack while in Spain. Aside from his playing prowess, Francis also carved out a successful career as a manager and as a respected football pundit.
Amidst family strife, it has emerged that Francis left his sons James and Matthew out of his will, which was valued at £1.9 million. The estate was instead bequeathed to his brother Ian and sister Carolyn, following reported "family differences".
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Francis, who was born in Plymouth, etched his name into football annals with his landmark move from Birmingham to Forest for £1 million in 1979. In that same season, he clinched immortality by scoring the decisive goal that led Brian Clough's squad to triumph over Malmo with a sliver-thin 1-0 victory in the 1979 European Cup final; his medal from this iconic match could alone command an astonishing £20,000 at auction.
Forest continued their winning ways the next season, securing another European Cup win against Hamburg; despite missing the match due to injury, Francis was awarded a winner's medal, now poised to draw bids upwards of £8,500, reports the Mirror.
His illustrious career saw him later dazzling Italian football during his tenure with Sampdoria in the mid-1980s, where he amassed yet another accolade - the Coppa Italia 1984-85 winner's medal, estimated to be worth £3,500. In a storied encounter during that season, he played against the mythical Maradona, whose Napoli jersey he acquired post-match, now valued also at £3,500.
Francis, who played 52 times for England and scored 12 goals, has an England cap from a late 1970s match against Switzerland that is estimated to be worth £1,400. The red number eight away England shirt he wore during the 1982 FIFA World Cup could also fetch the same amount.
Francis was part of the Sheffield Wednesday team that won the Football League Cup in 1991, defeating Manchester United in the final. His winner's medal is expected to bring in £1,400.
The auction will take place next month in Exmouth, Devon.