Trevor Francis, British football’s first £1million player, has died at the age of 69.

The ex-Birmingham striker, who scored Nottingham Forest’s winner in their 1979 European Cup final triumph, earned 52 England caps and later guided Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham to major finals as a manager.

Plymouth-born Francis burst onto the scene as a teenager with Birmingham, making his first-team debut at 16 in 1970.

“He died in Spain this morning from a heart attack,” said a spokesman.

Forest shattered the British transfer record when they paid £1.15million for him in 1979, although manager Brian Clough famously claimed the fee was £999,999 to take pressure off the player.

He started his career at Birmingham, playing 328 times and scoring 133 goals.

In 1971, at just 16-years-old, he became the youngest ever player to score four times in Football League history in Blues’ 4-0 win over Bolton.

He earned his record move to Forest in 1979 and headed the winner in the 1-0 victory over Malmo to win the European Cup just a few months later.

Francis missed the European Cup win over Hamburg a year later through injury and joined Manchester City in 1981.

Spells at Sampdoria, where he won the Coppa Italia, Atalanta, Rangers and QPR – where he was player-manager – followed.

He moved to Sheffield Wednesday in 1990 before he replaced Ron Atkinson as manager.

Under Francis, the Owls finished third in the old First Division in his first season in charge before finishing seventh in the newly created Premier League while also being runners up in the FA Cup and League Cup.

He left in 1995 and returned to Birmingham the following year, reaching the play-offs three times and also the 2001 League Cup final where they lost to Liverpool.

Francis left St Andrew’s in October 2001 and joined Crystal Palace soon after, leaving the Eagles in 2003 in what was his last job.

Francis spent half a year in Spain and the rest in Solihull. He suffered a heart attack 11 years ago and had kept himself fit with daily power walks.

He had an annual health check through the League Managers’ Association and, according to his spokesman, was “enjoying life very much having eventually got over the death of his wife”.

Helen passed away in 2017 after a battle with cancer.

Tottenham attacker Son Heung-min feels the ongoing speculation surrounding Harry Kane is “not easy” for his team-mate, but has praised the professionalism of Spurs’ stand-in captain.

Son and Kane have landed in Singapore for the final leg of their Asia-Pacific pre-season tour after an eventful few days in Bangkok.

Monsoon weather saw Tottenham’s friendly with Leicester cancelled on Sunday and a day earlier a journalist from German publication BILD had unveiled a Bayern Munich shirt with ‘Kane 9’ on the back to new Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou in his pre-match press conference.

Postecoglou was far from impressed but the noise around Kane shows no sign of going away, with Bayern expected to return with a third bid later this month and reports overnight stating Manchester United could enter the race again for the signature of the forward.

Kane, who is performing captain duties during Tottenham’s tour after Hugo Lloris was left back in England to finalise a move away from the club, has been hailed by his long-standing strike partner.

“Harry has been fantastic for me,” Son told reporters, via football.london, in Bangkok. “He’s always professional, always working hard.

“He’s never showed any thoughts about himself. There’s so much news going around it’s also not easy for him, but he’s captain at the moment and he’s working with the team.

“He doesn’t show any distraction. He loves being here. I love him as a player. I fully respect him.

“He’s one of the best strikers in the world, has been for five, six, seven years in a row. The decision will be between the club and Harry and we have to respect it.

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“I can’t say anything about the final decision because I don’t know anything. Probably Harry doesn’t know. We just have to wait.”

Kane has entered the final 12 months of his contract at Tottenham and Bayern have increased their efforts to sign the forward this month, with their honorary president Uli Hoeness claiming last week that personal terms had been agreed between the German club and the England captain.

Bayern are reported to have lodged two unsuccessful bids for Kane so far this summer, but Spurs remain determined to keep hold of their all-time leading goal-scorer.

A new contract has been offered to Kane by Tottenham, which is a significant increase on his current £200,000-a-week terms, but he has not made any decision on the new deal while speculation over his future continues.

Spurs are set to play local team Lion City Sailors in Singapore on Wednesday before they head back to England.

Erik ten Hag was pleased by Manchester United’s display in and out of possession as they kicked off their US pre-season tour with a win against fellow title hopefuls Arsenal.

Having beaten Leeds in Oslo and Lyon in Edinburgh, the Red Devils kicked off the main stint of 2023-24 preparations at a sold-out MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday.

Newly-appointed captain Bruno Fernandes all too easily beat Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale before Jadon Sancho struck following an error by Gabriel in a 2-0 win wrapped up by half-time.

“I think it’s very good,” United boss Ten Hag said. “The way we played, I was really pleased, how active we were in and out of possession.

“That is the way we want to play and that is the only period of the year you can really work in training and translate it to games without it having consequences.

“But still, we want to win, and I think the lads showed we played a good game.”

He continued: “Of course, they are all great games. We have to go and it helps us to progress and especially those opponents, they are good.

“Arsenal is a really good opponent. They played incredibly good last season in the Premier League, so yeah, that’s good to match with them, then you will be better.”

The main negative was the second half injury to Amad Diallo, who left MetLife Stadium on crutches with his left foot in strapping.

Ten Hag will be hoping the youngster has avoided any kind of significant injury on a night when 18-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo produced a promising performance.

“It’s fantastic,” the Dutchman told MUTV. “Manchester United is famous for always bringing young players up and it can be done. But we have to see.

“We have confidence, he is playing with confidence and I really like his performance. But this year, he showed it in spring, then he got injured. We are really happy.

“There are more youngsters with us now and they’re all doing very good. But I don’t want to rise expectations too high.

“We have to see. The Premier League is tough but, definitely, you can see we have some really good young players who can play a role in the squad. But the bar is high.”

United continue on to San Diego, where their reserves take on Wrexham before the first team faces Real Madrid in Houston and Borussia Dortmund in Las Vegas.

Arsenal beat the MLS All-Stars 5-0 in Washington DC on Wednesday night and head to Los Angeles to take on Barcelona looking to bounce back from losing to United.

Barca had to cancel their Saturday friendly against Juventus as “a significant part of the Blaugrana squad has a viral gastroenteritis”.

An Arsenal spokesperson said they are in close contact with the La Liga champions and fully confident their match against them will take place as planned on July 26.

Mikel Arteta is hoping for a response from his squad, saying after the loss to United: “Yes (this is a good lesson for us).

“You asked me yesterday about my thoughts on how difficult or easy the season is going to be.

“It’s going to be more challenging, more difficult, the level and preparation of the team is excellent and we knew today, they had already played two games before this one and we knew the test was going to be really demanding, like it’s going to be on Wednesday against one of the best teams in the world.

“I don’t like losing and I don’t like the feeling that I have right now.

“So, the boys have to train right now, in that space thinking how we are going to be better to win the next match.”

Leon Bailey’s future with ambitious Aston Villa is up in the air with head coach Unai Emery seemingly keen to replace the Reggae Boy with one of his former team-mates.

He has produced inconsistent displays for the English Premier League (EPL) outfit since signing a four-year deal in August 2021. And his recent hit ‘n’ miss international performances during the CONCACAF Gold Cup did the 25-year-old no favours.

Emery has made a massive impact with the Villains, since replacing head coach Steven Gerrard last October, by steering them to seventh place in the EPL to earn a UEFA Europa Conference League play-off spot.

The wily Spaniard will be desperate to strengthen his squad, with Bayer Leverkusen and France star winger Moussa Diaby firmly on Emery’s radar.

The winger, who played under Emery at Paris Saint-Germain, is due to shortly kick-off pre-season training with the German Bundesliga side. If there’s going to be a deal it will be soon, and Bailey will be pondering his future.

It’s understood that a £42m offer has been tabled by Villa, which if accepted puts Bailey down the pecking order at the EPL club and effectively on the sidelines.

Bailey had previously been a wanted man by the likes of elite EPL clubs such as Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United before he penned his £5.2million base salary contract with Villa.

However, only producing flashes of brilliance rather than on a persistent basis means that top teams aren’t likely to be interested as Bailey can’t consistently deliver the goods.

His performance during Jamaica’s timid 3-0 Gold Cup semi-final defeat to eventual champions Mexico, highlighted his inexplicable inconsistency for both club and country.

Bailey was largely ineffective against Mexico. He lost possession 17 times, won seven of the 14 tackles, was accurate with just two of his five crosses and produced only a single shot — which was off target.
 
Should he stay in the EPL then at least Everton and Wolves could step in, because they were reportedly clamouring for Bailey’s signature before he joined Villa.

He’s only made 35 appearances for Villa, having been out of favour under Gerrard as well as a string of injuries, bagging just five goals. So his value will not be particularly high despite his age, should Emery decide to shelve the Kingston-born winger.

Emery has demanded reliability from his squads wherever he has worked, and because Bailey seems incapable of this then Diaby could fill his boots.

Diaby was on target in Europe last season, notching two goals during the Champions League group stages and adding a further three in the Europa League knockout rounds.

Bailey, who is expected to shine in attack but rarely does, only managed one goal during Jamaica’s Gold Cup campaign. Following his extended international break, Bailey has been given extra holiday time by Emery before his pre-season return.

Whether Bailey will return to Villa lies very much in the balance, with a summer move potentially on the cards for the former Phoenix All Stars Academy product.

What the papers say

Chelsea will make a second bid for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, adding £10million and add-ons to their first offer of £70million, the Daily Mail said.

Liverpool’s quest for a younger midfield will come at a hefty cost with Crystal Palace valuing Cheick Doucoure at £70million, the Daily Mail reports. Liverpool have already added Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to their midfield this summer.

The Guardian says Chelsea are also thinking of making a bid for Marc Guehi, who they sold to Crystal Palace two years ago. Chelsea are trying to fill the void in defence that will be left by Wesley Fofana who had surgery on a serious knee injury.

Newcastle are on the verge of selling Allan Saint-Maximin to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli for around £30million, as they look to bring in Leicester’s Harvey Barnes, according to the Telegraph.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Pedro: Tottenham are interested in signing the 26-year-old Brazilian striker who plays for Flamengo, the Independent said.

Ivan Fresneda: Bournemouth look likely to beat Barcelona, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund to the signing of the 18-year-old Valladolid defender with a bid of £15million, according to Football Insider.

Peter Crouch joined Liverpool from Southampton for £7million on this day in 2005.

The forward signed a four-year deal with the Champions League holders to link up with England team-mates Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher on Merseyside.

Crouch had scored 12 goals in the previous Premier League season, but it was not enough to keep Southampton up and he subsequently moved to Anfield after Saints’ relegation.

Tottenham academy graduate Crouch would spend three years with Liverpool, scoring 40 goals across 135 appearances and helping them win the FA Cup in 2006.

After previous spells with QPR, Portsmouth and Aston Villa, Crouch had to wait a number of months before he opened his account for new club Liverpool.

Crouch eventually grabbed his maiden goal for the Reds on December 3 against Wigan, but would also net the winner against Manchester United in the FA Cup fifth round and score the decisive goal months later in a Community Shield triumph over Chelsea.

A hat-trick against Arsenal was the highlight of his second season at Liverpool, which ended with a substitute appearance in defeat by AC Milan in the Champions League final.

Fernando Torres’ arrival in the summer of 2007 saw Crouch’s opportunities reduced and a year later he departed to Portsmouth in an £11m deal.

Harry Redknapp brought Crouch back to the south-coast club and secured his services again one season later after he took over at Tottenham.

Back at his boyhood club, Crouch helped Spurs qualify for the Champions League for the first time, scoring the winner at Manchester City, and he played a key role in their run to the quarter-finals in 2011 after grabbing a hat-trick in the qualification round against Young Boys.

Crouch would later sign for Stoke, where he would spend eight seasons and score more than 50 times before he finished his career at Burnley.

Upon announcing his retirement in 2019, Crouch had represented England on 42 occasions and scored 22 goals, including netting at the 2006 World Cup. He would later transition into a pundit and become a popular figure on the media circuit.

Former Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has told both Harry Maguire and Mason Greenwood to leave Old Trafford.

Maguire was stripped of the captaincy last week in seemingly another move by manager Erik ten Hag that shows the England defender is not central to his set-up moving forward.

The 30-year-old started just eight Premier League games last season and may feel he needs to land a move away from United if he is to stay at the forefront of Gareth Southgate’s plans ahead of Euro 2024.

West Ham have reportedly shown an interest in signing Maguire, with Rooney of the belief the ex-Leicester player should consider calling time on his days at United, telling The Athletic: “To have the armband taken off you, how does he move forward with the club?

“That shows the manager really doesn’t believe in him. It leaves Harry in a position where he has to think on what he does moving forward.

“The manager has shown he is not part of the plans. I’m sure Harry will want to go and play – for himself, for his England career – to put himself in the best position to be as successful as he can. The best thing now is probably for him to move.”

Greenwood’s situation is very different to Maguire’s – the 21-year-old still unable to play as an internal investigation is carried out.

The Crown Prosecution Service ended its case against Greenwood for attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour but his future as a footballer – especially at United – remains in doubt.

“It leaves Mason Greenwood in a position where he is stuck,” Rooney said of the one-cap England forward.

“So for Mason, it’s a bad position to be in because I’m sure he just wants to play football. But for the club, its image and ensuring they make the right decisions, it’s almost a catch-22. I think the best thing for Mason now is to get out of the club and go and develop somewhere else.

“He needs to get back playing because it has been a long time – it’s probably got to a place now where Mason just needs to go and play and to try and get his career back on track.”

What the papers say

Leicester midfielder Harvey Barnes is looking increasingly likely to sign for Newcastle. Leicester have valued Barnes at around the £35-40million mark, according to the Daily Mail. The Premier League club could reportedly seal the deal with the 25-year-old in the coming days which may hasten Allan Saint-Maximin’s exit from St James’ Park as Saudi Pro League teams circle.

The Guardian says veteran Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has agreed to terms to join Ligue 1 club Marseille on a three-year deal. Chelsea and the French side now need to agree on a deal for the 34-year-old’s signature. Aubameyang only started in five Premier League games for the Blues last season.

Manchester City reportedly rejected a bid of over £20m from Saudi Pro League team Al-Ahli for Riyad Mahrez but the Saudi Arabian club are confident they will get their man. The Guardian reported the Premier League champions have asked for £30m for his services.

Luton are on the verge of signing 29-year-old midfielder Marvelous Nakamba from Aston Villa, the Telegraph writes. Meanwhile, the Liverpool Echo reports Liverpool could explore signing Portugal international Joao Palhinha from Fulham.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Harry Maguire: Chelsea are reportedly showing interest in signing the Manchester United defender after Wesley Fofana underwent knee surgery, 90 Min reports.

Connor Gallagher: Sky Sports says West Ham are keen on signing the exciting midfielder but Chelsea have put a hefty cost on the 23-year-old, asking for more than £40million.

What the papers say

Liverpool are believed to be weighing an approach for Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips. Citing Sky Sports, the paper says the 27-year-old is on the radar of Reds bosses as a potential replacement for Fabinho, who is closing in on a move to Saudi Arabia.

Scott McTominay could be on the chopping block at Manchester United. According to the Manchester Evening News, manager Erik Ten Hag is willing to sell the 26-year-old midfielder for the right price in order to fund summer transfers.

The Daily Mail reports Giovani Lo Celso is nearing a move away from Tottenham. Spurs and Napoli have opened talks over either an outright transfer for the 27-year-old midfielder, or a loan move with an option to buy.

And the Daily Star says former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea looks to be on the verge of a move to Saudi Arabia, after receiving multiple large offers from a number of clubs.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Alvaro Morata: La Gazzetta reports Inter Milan have set their sights on an offer for the Atletico Madrid striker.

Matheus Nascimento: Nottingham Forest are closing in on the Botafogo striker, according to Portuguese outlet UOL.

Simon Thomas has announced he will succeed Jeff Stelling as host of Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday programme.

Former Blue Peter presenter Thomas, 50, had long been reported to be among the contenders for the role, which also included Sky presenters Caroline Barker and Julian Warren.

Stelling, 68, announced in April he would be stepping down as anchor of the results show after almost 30 years and bade farewell on the final day of the Premier League season.

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Thomas said on social media: “Ever since I stepped away from Sky in 2018 to look after Ethan after we lost his mum, rebuilding my career has not always been easy. Sky always said the door would be open for me to come back, but this was never the door I expected to open.

“Lots of people have said I have some very big shoes to fill – but I don’t. Jeff Stelling is a one off. An absolute master of his craft. Incomparable. All I can be is myself, and be the best I possibly can.”

Thomas’s first wife Gemma died in November 2017 three days after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia.

His second wife Derrina Jebb gave birth to their daughter Talitha in October after an emergency caesarean section having developed pre-eclampsia and Thomas later spoke candidly about his experience on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine Show.

Thomas added: “This is a huge moment for me and my family and a massive honour to be trusted with such a well-loved and respected program. It also feels incredibly special to be fully coming back to the Sky Sports family, who all those years ago believed in me after leaving Blue Peter.

“I also just want to say thank you to my wonderful wife Derrina for always believing in me and my family and friends for always having my back. See you on August 5!”

France midfielder N’Golo Kante joined Chelsea from Premier League champions Leicester for a reported £32million, on this day in 2016.

Kante’s only season with the Foxes, following his arrival from Caen the previous summer, saw him play a pivotal role in their title-winning campaign.

He was offered a bumper new contract at the King Power Stadium but opted to leave for Chelsea.

“Despite the offer of a substantially-improved, long-term contract, it became apparent that N’Golo’s wish was to join Chelsea,” said a Leicester statement.

Kante cited the opportunity to work under then-Blues boss Antonio Conte as a major reason for moving to Stamford Bridge.

“I am so happy to have signed for one of the biggest clubs in Europe. It’s adream come true for me,” he said.

“The opportunity to work with a brilliant coach and some of the best players in the world was simply too good to turn down.”

Chelsea won the Premier League during Kante’s first season in London as the now 32-year-old became the first player since Eric Cantona in 1993 to win back-to-back top-flight titles in England with two clubs.

Kante also won the FA Cup, Europa League and Champions League before leaving Stamford Bridge this summer for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad.

Willian visited the Nottingham Forest training ground ahead of a possible transfer this summer.

The Brazilian is out of contract at Fulham and has been in talks with Forest about a switch to the City Ground.

He visited the club’s facility on Thursday but has not yet agreed a deal, the PA news agency understands.

The Cottagers have also offered the 34-year-old a new contract after an impressive 2022/23 campaign.

The former Chelsea and Arsenal winger scored five times in 25 appearances as Marco Silva’s side enjoyed a top-half finish.

Forest made 30 signings last year in their first season back in the top tier but they are not expected to be as active this year.

They are targeting up to eight new arrivals as they aim to build on last year’s 16th-placed finish.

What the papers say

Jordan Henderson is weighing up a move away from Liverpool, according to the Daily Telegraph. Al-Ettifaq, now managed by former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, are reportedly keen on the 33-year-old midfielder but have not made a formal bid.

Aaron Ramsey is another international midfielder who has emerged as a target for Saudi Arabia, reports The Sun. But the Wales star, 32, is ready to turn down a big-money move in favour of a return to his first club Cardiff from Nice.

Newcastle are reportedly in talks with relegated Leicester over signing winger Harvey Barnes. The Daily Mail says an opening offer of around £30 million is on the cards.

Centre-back Trevoh Chalobah could be one of the players leaving Chelsea this summer. The Blues are willing to sell the 24-year-old if they get the right offer, according to the Evening Standard.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Joao Felix: Manchester United, Aston Villa and Newcastle United are all interested in the 23-year-old Atletico Madrid and Portugal forward.

James McAtee: Manchester City have turned down bids around £30 million for the 20-year-old midfielder.

Mason Mount made his Manchester United debut as Erik ten Hag’s side began their pre-season schedule with a 2-0 win against Leeds in Oslo.

The 24-year-old, who made a £55million move from Chelsea last month, played the first 45 minutes and impressed in flashes during a quiet first period.

Ten Hag’s starting XI was a combination of youth and experience, with Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho joined by young prospects such as Kobbie Mainoo and Omari Forson.

Tributes were paid before kick off to former Scotland, Manchester United and Leeds defender Gordon McQueen, who died aged 70 last month following his battle with dementia.

Mount created a big opening in the 10th minute, passing in behind for Amad Diallo to tee up Hannibal Mejbri but the Tunisian was denied by a smart save from Leeds goalkeeper Kristoffer Klaesson.

Moments later the England midfielder was involved again, winning the ball back before attempting a delicate chip over Klaesson from 25 yards which landed on the roof of the net.

“I am sure he will contribute to the success of Manchester United because he is a quality player,” Ten Hag told MUTV before kick-off.

“In midfield you have to attack but you also have to defend. He will bring dynamic into our game. We need more dynamic in that midfield department.”

Daniel Farke took charge of his first game as manager of Leeds, who are preparing for life back in the Championship following relegation last season.

The breakthrough came on 67 minutes as 18-year-old Norwegian Isak Hansen-Aaroen played in Frenchman Noam Emeran who slid it past Dani van den Heuvel.

Emeran then turned provider for Joe Hugill to seal the win 10 minutes from time.

The Red Devils’ pre-season continues with a clash against Lyon in Edinburgh next Wednesday before they head to the USA for matches against Arsenal, Wrexham, Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.

Roberto Mancini agreed a new five-year contract with Manchester City on this day in 2012.

However, just 10 months later the City dream had soured and the title-winning manager wound up being sacked.

The Italian manager took charge at the Etihad Stadium in 2009 and helped accelerate the club’s revolution under owner Sheikh Mansour.

Mancini was rewarded with a long-term new deal after steering City to their first top-flight title in 68 years, when the Manchester side won the 2011-12 Premier League.

Sergio Aguero’s last-ditch winner toppled QPR and saw City edge out rivals and neighbours Manchester United to claim the league crown.

Mancini replaced Mark Hughes in December 2009, leading his side to the 2011 FA Cup before swiping the English championship a year later.

“I am delighted to be able to give all of my efforts to Manchester City for a further five years,” said Mancini on completing his new extended deal.

“The opportunity which exists to build on our recent success is enormous.”

Sadly for Mancini, that enormous opportunity for City did not extend to him for much longer.

City lost the 2013 FA Cup final 1-0 to Wigan, with the Latics suffering Premier League relegation to sit alongside their cup glory.

That proved the final straw for City’s owners, after United had already sewn up the Premier League title with two games to play.

Mancini was unseated by City on May 13, 2013 – just two days after that FA Cup final defeat.

Assistant Brian Kidd took charge for the final two league games, with United eventually ending with an 11-point margin on second-placed City.

Mancini would move on to further club management roles with Galatasaray, Inter Milan and Zenit St Petersburg before claiming Euro 2020 glory as Italy coach.