Hearts have completed the signing of centre-back Frankie Kent from Peterborough after fending off an attempt to hijack the deal by a cinch Premiership rival.

The 27-year-old former Arsenal youth player has signed a three-year contract after Peterborough received an undisclosed fee.

Hearts say they saw off some “stiff, late opposition” to sign the former Colchester player, who joined Posh in 2019 and made 170 appearances, helping the club to promotion to the Championship in 2021 and the League One play-offs last season.

Sporting director Joe Savage told the Hearts website: “We’ve said all along that we’ll be patient to make sure we get the right players in and Frankie certainly fits the bill.

“It’s also pleasing that he remained committed to joining us despite another Scottish club trying to get involved late on and I suppose we should take it as a compliment that our recruitment strategy is being mimicked elsewhere.”

Technical director Steven Naismith added: “We identified Frankie as a player who could come in and improve the team so we’re delighted to get him in.

“He was a big part of Peterborough’s recent success in winning promotion and we believe that he can make himself a success at Tynecastle Park.

“He is an aggressive centre-half in the way that he defends and starts phases of play and his leadership skills stand out.

“He was very keen to come to Hearts and take the next step in his career, so it’s a great move all round.”

The severity of forecast rain on Wednesday and Thursday is set to play a key part in determining ground conditions for Saturday’s King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Qipco Stakes at Ascot.

The 12-furlong Group One is one of the highlights of the summer and the feature event of the Berkshire track’s two-day meeting, which starts on Friday.

There are over 150 entries for Saturday’s eight-race card, with a stellar cast set to assemble for the King George itself, in which Derby one-two Auguste Rodin and King Of Steel could take on last year’s Epsom hero Desert Crown and the likes of defending champion Pyledriver.

“We’re delighted with how the whole card is shaping up and the entries are excellent,” said Chris Stickels, Ascot’s clerk of the course.

“The King George itself looks like it could be a fantastic renewal.”

Conditions are currently described as good to soft, soft in places following a drying day on Monday.

However, Stickels will be keeping a close eye on the band of rain set to pass through the area later in the week with anything between seven and 15 millimetres forecast to fall – something he believes could be the deciding factor on whether the meeting is held on good or soft ground.

Stickels said: “The going is currently described as good to soft, soft in places.

“That will probably change on Tuesday given we’ve only had 1mm so far on Monday.

“It’s been fairly breezy and will be drying a bit. There was only a little bit of soft first thing this morning in it, we were expecting a little bit more rain, so it’s quite good it has stayed dry.

“I imagine there will be a change in the going on Tuesday to reflect it drying a bit, unless we do get any further rain now.

“The forecast for Tuesday looks generally settled. There is rain again and showers on Wednesday night through Thursday which will soften things up again and then Friday and Saturday look generally dry and blustery, with a chance of a blustery shower.

“We don’t know what to expect because every forecast model is different, but we’re forecast between 7mm and 15mm. If we had 7 or 8mm it would be goodish ground, but if we had the top-end of that forecast it would be slower than that.

“There’s a front coming through late on Wednesday through Thursday and the volume of that will be the factor that will determine what the ground will be like over the weekend.”

Zak Crawley insists motivation will be no problem as England attempt to round off a memorable Ashes summer by levelling the series at the Kia Oval.

Without two days of rain at Emirates Old Trafford, this week’s clash was shaping up as an all-or-nothing shootout for the urn and would surely have been the most hyped Test match in this country since the touchstone summer of 2005.

The stakes are smaller for England now, but the prospect of securing a 2-2 draw and denying rivals Australia a first outright win on these shores since 2001 remains a prize to play for.

Crawley, whose outstanding 189 in Manchester became an instant Ashes classic as he flayed the Test world champions to all four corners of the ground on day two, admitted the soggy conclusion was frustrating but has no doubt about the hunger in the home dressing room.

“We’re massively up for it. Any game, you want to win,” said the opener, who sits as the top run-scorer in the series with 385.

“As Ben Stokes says, we’re building as a team, this isn’t the end just because it’s the end of the Ashes. Hopefully, it’s very much the start.

“I think 2-2 would be fair. They had the better of us at Lord’s, Edgbaston could have gone either way, we probably deserved this one and Headingley could have gone either way. So I think 2-2 would be right.

“It felt like we were getting on top of them for sure and if we’d won this game it would have been very interesting to see. They’ve got some very good players and would have bounced back but the momentum would have been with us for sure.”

England have named an unchanged 14-man squad for the fifth Test, leaving question marks over the make-up of their pace attack.

Record wicket-taker James Anderson, who turns 41 on day four of the match, is under the microscope after a disappointing series that has seen him take just four wickets at an average of 76.75.

He managed a single breakthrough in what was his farewell Ashes outing at his home ground last week and a familiar bout of speculation around his future follows him to south London.

Anderson has defied expectations around the longevity of fast bowlers for so long that it has become an almost annual tradition to wonder if he might be set for an emotional swansong.

His prospects of getting one more chance to make his mark on this series are improved by worries over Chris Woakes, who has been excellent for the past two games but complained off stiffness in the second innings at Old Trafford.

Woakes had not played Test cricket for 18 months before returning to the side at Headingley and three games in quick succession may be too much of an ask.

England also have the up-and-coming Josh Tongue at their disposal, as well as a fit-again Ollie Robinson, and may also ask to check on leading wicket-taker Stuart Broad, who will be eager for the challenge of playing a sixth consecutive game in little more than seven weeks.

It is understood that Anderson has given no indication at all that he is planning to hang up his boots, and the notion of a grand, emotional farewell in the vein of Sir Alastair Cook is unlikely to appeal.

Rob Key, England’s managing director of men’s cricket, may find himself with a decision to make when the next batch of central contracts are awarded later this year but the three-day break between back-to-back Tests is hardly the time for such debates.

For once, Crawley’s continued selection faces no discussion whatsoever. His imperious century explained perfectly the faith he has enjoyed during leaner times and could act as a springboard for a new chapter.

“I feel I’m as good a player as I have ever been, I feel good about my game,” he said.

“Fast bowling suits my game and the Australian attack is a quick attack. I think a bit less when they’re faster.

“I’m pleased with how I’m playing, I’ve just got to build on it.

“I have a bit more experience now, things to fall back on in different conditions, so I feel I can kick on now. I’ll be keeping myself to myself and listen to close friends and family. They’re the only opinions I care about.”

The Buffalo Bills' Nyheim Hines will miss the 2023 NFL season after he injured his knee when he was struck by a jet ski.

Hines was sitting on an idle jet ski and was struck by another rider, sustaining a serious knee injury, according to a report from NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero on Monday.

His injury is non-life threatening but will require surgery.

It was not immediately reported when and where the accident occurred.

Acquired by the Bills in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts last November, the 26-yard-old Hines was expected to be the Bills' primary kick and punt returner and serve as their third-down running back this season.

In nine games for Buffalo in 2022, Hines returned 16 punts for an average of 9.6 yards and brought back 19 kicks for an average of 29.2 yards and two touchdowns - both against the New England Patriots in the emotional season finale in what was the Bills' first game since Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16.

A fourth-round pick by the Colts in 2018, Hines has 22 career touchdowns in 81 games - 10 TDs via rushing, eight from receiving and two each from punt and kick returns.

The three-time defending AFC East-champion Bills begin training camp on Wednesday and will open the regular season on Monday Night Football visiting the New York Jets on September 11.

Tim Easterby’s Art Power will aim to return to his favourite track after an impressive success in the Sapphire Stakes.

The popular grey is a constant in high-quality sprint contests and is an eight-time winner for owners King Power Racing.

Now six years old, the gelding is unbeaten at the Curragh in four runs having won the Renaissance Stakes twice, as well as the Greenlands Stakes earlier in the season.

Armed with that knowledge, he was well backed as the 6-5 favourite for the Group Two Sapphire Stakes over five furlongs at the track on Saturday.

Under David Allan, he did not disappoint and cruised to an unchallenged four-and-a-quarter-length success to maintain his flawless record at the Kildare venue.

Another trip to the Curragh is now on the horizon for the son of Dark Angel, who holds an entry for the Flying Five Stakes on September 10.

“He’s come home and he’s in great form, he’s come out of it really well,” said Easterby.

“He ran a super race, we were delighted with him and he’s come out of it in great form.

“He’ll probably go back there for the Flying Five in September. He loves it there and he liked that bit of cut in the ground too.

“He just seems to love it, it’s nice ground that often has a bit of cut in it.

“It’s a good, level track for him and he just seems to really enjoy it.”

The British Horseracing Authority has accepted Sean Levey took no prohibited substance following a “non-negative” saliva test at Sandown last year, which was later deemed negative by a laboratory.

Levey was stood down by the raceday stewards on September 14 when an instant saliva test produced a positive result for amphetamine.

The Group One-winning rider requested a urine test within 24 hours and when that returned negative, he was allowed to resume riding.

However, Levey was forced to miss the closing night of the Racing League, for which he was the leading rider ahead of the final meeting. He was subsequently caught by Saffie Osborne, who rode a treble to claim a £20,000 bonus.

In a statement, the BHA said: “The BHA would like to provide the following update on the oral fluid testing pilot, which was paused following a negative laboratory follow-up analysis requested after a point of care racecourse non-negative sample given by Sean Levey at Sandown on September 14, 2022.

“Following that negative laboratory follow-up analysis, the BHA has carried out extensive analysis to ascertain the circumstances behind the original non-negative, remaining in close communication with Mr Levey throughout. The BHA is grateful for his co-operation during this time.

“The BHA completely accepts that Mr Levey did not take amphetamine or any other prohibited substance and has not committed any offence under the rules of racing, with the cause of the non-negative appearing to have been a supplement that those administering the test were not aware of at the time.

“A further update regarding the resumption of the oral fluid testing pilot will follow in due course.”

Billy Loughnane says he will be “pushing to be back as soon as I can” after a thumb injury suffered at Nottingham has left him facing a spell on the sidelines.

The 17-year-old has established himself as one of the rising stars of the weighing room since bursting onto the scene over the winter and is bearing down quickly on a century of winners having continued to have success throughout the summer.

However, his quest for three figures has been halted following the injury sustained in a stalls incident aboard the Ed Dunlop-trained Lucidity on Friday night and although Loughnane is unsure how long he will be out of action, he is keen for a quick return.

He said: “I will be pushing to be back as soon as I can.

“I’m taking it day by day and I’ll be back as soon as I can. It’s obviously frustrating and hard at the minute, watching the horses you could have been on run, but I have had over 500 rides now and been lucky not to pick anything up so far.

“It’s annoying, the timing of it, but it’s just one of those things.”

Upon his return, Loughnane could represent Ireland in the Racing League where his 3lb claim could be a vital asset for Kevin Blake’s team as they bid to climb the table after two years rooted to the bottom of the standings.

Despite his injury, Loughnane is still 14-1 joint favourite with William Hill to be the competition’s top jockey.

He added: “I am looking forward to it, to be part of the Racing League is great. Hopefully I’ll be there for a few of the meetings.

“I was born in Ireland and class myself as Irish, so I’m looking forward to representing Ireland.

“Hopefully it can boost me a little bit and give me the chance to ride for a few different trainers and get myself to the next level a little bit. It’s hopefully going to be a good place to build contacts and there’s great prize-money as well.

“Fingers crossed, I get a bit of luck and can ride a couple of winners.”

Celtic have completed a double signing from South Korea by bringing in Yang Hyun-jun and Kwon Hyeon-kyu.

The signing of 21-year-old winger Yang from Gangwon was confirmed before the club announced they had also wrapped up a deal for 22-year-old midfielder Kwon from Busan I-Park.

Both players have signed five-year contracts and will link up with compatriot Oh Hyeon-gyu.

Manager Brendan Rodgers told Celtic’s website: “We’re delighted to bring Yang to the club and I’m sure he’s going to be another great addition to the squad.

“He’s a player that we’ve looked at closely and who we think will further enhance our attacking options which, of course, already include his fellow countryman Oh.

“He’s an exciting player who was the young player of the year in South Korea last season, which is an indication of his quality, and I’m sure he’ll be looking forward to having a big impact at the club.

“It’s also clear that he was very keen to make this move to Celtic, so I know he’ll be delighted that everything has now been agreed and we’re really looking forward to working with him.

“We’re also very pleased to bring Kwon to the club, on the same day that we’ve also announced the signing of Yang.

“Again, he is a player that the club has been aware of for some time, so it’s great that we’ve completed the deal and I know that the player is delighted with the move.

“We’re looking forward to both players joining up with the squad and playing their part in what we hope will be another successful campaign.”

Yang’s club had been hoping to keep him until the end of their season but the player made it clear he wanted an immediate transfer rather than waiting until the January window.

He said: “I’m very pleased to come to Celtic and I’m looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and to begin training with them.

“This is a move that I wanted to make and so it is great to be here in Scotland now as a Celtic player.

“I have spoken to Hyeon-gyu Oh who has already told me great things about the club and its supporters, so I can’t wait to meet them and play in front of them.”

Kwon said: “This is a great move for me, to be joining the Scottish champions, and I am looking forward to working with the manager and the players.

“I know that Celtic is already very well-known back home, and I am sure the support will continue to increase now there are three South Korean players, and it will be good to play alongside them.”

David Menuisier’s exciting Sunway could have his potential put to the test at Ascot on Saturday in the Flexjet Pat Eddery Stakes.

The son of Galiway created a taking impression when winning at Sandown on debut and is now being thrust straight into Listed company as one of 17 possibles for the seven-furlong Listed event.

Since his Sandown bow, Qatar Racing have become involved on the ownership side alongside Guy Pariente and Thomas Lines and his handler is keen to see how the colt has progressed from his first start.

“It has been the plan pretty much since Sandown and the rain that has arrived shouldn’t be a problem,” said Menuisier.

“The horse is well and al being well between now and Saturday he will line-up.

“I am not quite sure of the form of the race at Sandown being critical, but he did it in good style and we hope he has improved and he can put on another good display.

“Qatar Racing have decided to buy into the horse which is always very flattering, so lets hope he can run up to the standard they are expecting.”

Charlie Appleby has won this contest the last two years and could be represented by the unbeaten Ancient Wisdom, while Charlie Hills’ Iberian skipped the Superlative Stakes at Newmarket and looked a youngster full of potential in his Newbury debut.

Aidan O’Brien could saddle three, while the Ballydoyle handler could also be represented by Brighter in the Princess Margaret Keeneland Stakes.

Other names to note amongst the 17 entries for that Group Three contest include George Boughey’s Albany third Soprano and recent Anglesey Stakes scorer Kairyu.

Jonathan Portman could also be represented by Cry Fiction who showed plenty of greenness when second in the Empress Fillies’ Stakes but is backed to improve with experience by her handler.

He said: “We’re very happy with how she has been progressing. She was still a bit green at Newmarket having only had the one run.

“She’s come on again for that run and we’re looking forward to running her again and I think she deserves a go.”

A maximum of 19 will head to post for the Longines Valiant Stakes where Ed Walker’s Random Harvest could attempt to bounce back from her disappointing run in the Falmouth Stakes over a course and distance she finished second over during Royal Ascot in the Duke of Cambridge.

Walker also has Sea Of Thieves and Rose Pick entered as he bids to add to his 2021 victory in the race, while Random Harvest’s regular rivals Prosperous Voyage and Grande Dame also feature amongst the list of possible runners.

Karl Burke’s Electric Eyes and Johnny Murtagh’s unbeaten Cadeau Belle will fly the flag for the three-year-olds in the Group Three event, while in the Moet & Chandon International Stakes, defending champion Fresh and Bunbury Cup winner Biggles are the headline acts as 36 stood their ground for the fiercely-contested handicap at Monday’s confirmation stage.

Trevor Francis was a footballer best known not for scoring in a European Cup final, earning 52 England appearances or later managing in major finals – all notable achievements – but for one of the game’s historical landmarks, as British football’s first £1million player.

In these days of £100million-plus fees, few now bat an eyelid at modest seven-figure moves but in 1979, when Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest smashed the British transfer record to sign Francis from Birmingham, the sum caused quite a stir.

Naturally Francis, who has died aged 69, felt he deserved to be remembered for much more, after a 34-year career in football that began in his prodigious teenage years and took him around the world, but he was nevertheless pleased to have his own unique place in the game’s history.

“I played professional football for 23 years until I was 39,” said Francis in an interview with The Guardian in 2019.

“I won European Cups with Nottingham Forest, I played 52 times over nine years for England, but whenever I go to a sporting occasion I’m always introduced as the first £1million footballer, as if that’s the only thing I achieved in my career.

“But do I feel proud of being the first £1million player? Absolutely.”

Trevor John Francis was born at 41 Morley Place in Plymouth on April 19, 1954. He was the son of Roy Francis, a shift foreman with the South West Gas Board, and his wife Phyllis. Francis was the eldest of three children, having a younger brother Ian and sister Carolyn.

His love of football was fostered at a young age by his father, who had played at semi-professional level. By the age of seven Francis was representing his school, Pennycross Primary, with boys at least two years older.

He went on to Plymouth Public Secondary School for boys and was selected for the town’s schools side at under-11, under-13, under-14 and under-15 levels. In all he scored more than 800 goals in the Devon schools system and was soon attracting interest from Plymouth Argyle, Bristol City and Birmingham. The latter offered him an apprenticeship and he joined them at the age of 15.

His dedication and determination made him stand out. This was underlined by his desire to improve his speed. Francis was known throughout his career for his pace but as a junior it had been one area where he was criticised.

He wrote: “At that stage of my development I took the advice and I would come back to St Andrew’s in the afternoon wearing my spikes and I just ran sprints over and over again. It was worth it.”

It certainly was. Francis scored at a prolific rate in the youth team and almost bypassed the reserves as he was fast-tracked into the first team. He became Birmingham’s youngest senior player as he made his debut at the age of 16 years, 139 days as a substitute against Cardiff.

He made an instant impact with 15 goals in his first 15 games, including all four in a victory over Bolton – a match he did not finish because of injury.

He was tagged “Super Boy” and comparisons with Jimmy Greaves and Denis Law were rife. Such was his impact the BBC Sports Report once began a segment with the announcement, “And Trevor Francis did not score today!”

Birmingham, then in the Second Division, saw their crowds swell to nearly 50,000. The club even reported a gate of 10,000 after Francis appeared in a youth game. All the while Francis remained an apprentice and still had to sweep terraces, mop floors and clean senior players’ boots.

Birmingham were promoted in 1972 and survived in the top flight for seven years. In all Francis scored 133 goals for the club in 328 appearances before that ground-breaking move to Forest. By then he was almost 25 and yearning to join a club that could challenge for silverware.

“I want to be part of a successful team and unless I see signs that we are going somewhere I won’t stay,” he said after submitting one of six transfer requests that were swiftly rejected by the club.

In the end, manager Jim Smith promised to let him go if fortunes did not improve and the club eventually accepted an offer from Forest in February 1979. Coventry pledged to match the deal with their chairman, Jimmy Hill, able to offer extra game time – with good financial incentives – with his American club, Detroit Express. Francis had previously spent a successful summer on loan with the Express but, ultimately, joining First Division champions Forest was more appealing.

“At the time they were the only team in England that could challenge Liverpool,” Francis said.

Forest’s charismatic manager Clough, who famously strolled into a press conference to unveil Francis carrying a squash racquet, immediately downplayed the fee.

The previous record British move had been David Mills’ £516,000 switch from Middlesbrough to West Brom just weeks earlier and Clough feared the pressures the £1million price tag could bring. Clough claimed Forest had actually paid £999,999 for the player and said so persuasively, even if fees and taxes meant the final fee was around £1.15million.

“Brian was very clever with the media,” Francis said. “He used to make headlines, and wasn’t bothered whether they were true or not.”

Francis soon made further headlines himself, scoring the only goal as Forest beat Malmo in the 1979 European Cup final in Munich. Francis raced in at the back post to head a John Robertson cross from the left into the roof of the net.

“I used to write a column for the Roy of the Rovers comic and this was my own Roy of the Rovers moment,” said Francis, whose fame saw his name – and apparent tendency to be photographed in tracksuits – written into the closing theme tune for popular sitcom ‘Only Fools and Horses’.

Francis was on target again in the quarter-finals against Dynamo Berlin and semi-finals against Ajax as Forest retained the trophy the following year, although injury prevented him playing in the final against Hamburg.

Injuries actually repeatedly disrupted his Forest career and, with Clough often playing him as a winger, he arguably never fulfilled his potential at the club. He scored 28 goals in 70 league appearances before moving to Manchester City for £1.2million in September 1981.

That proved a short-lived move as injuries again bit and cash problems forced City to sell on the following summer, but he revived his career in an impressive four-year spell with Sampdoria, with whom he won the Coppa Italia in 1985. He then had a spell with Atalanta, won the Scottish Cup with Rangers in 1988 and finished his playing career with QPR and Sheffield Wednesday.

On the international front, Francis won his first cap against Holland in 1977 and went on to score 12 goals for his country. He scored in group games against Czechoslovakia and Kuwait at the 1982 World Cup but was not selected for the 1986 tournament and did not play for England again.

It was at QPR he took his first steps into management, operating as player-boss from 1988-89. It was not a successful spell and he sparked controversy when he fined Martin Allen for missing a game to attend the birth of a child.

He fared better at Wednesday after taking over, again as player-manager, following Ron Atkinson’s departure in 1991. The Owls finished third in the First Division in 1992 and reached the League Cup and FA Cup finals of 1993, losing both to Arsenal.

He was sacked after a 13th-placed finish in 1995 but returned to management with Birmingham. He took them to the brink of promotion to the top flight as they reached the play-offs three times in succession from 1999-2001 but they missed out each time. They also appeared in the 2001 League Cup final but were beaten by Liverpool on penalties.

Despite those relative successes, he left the club later that year after a poor run of form and a number of disagreements with owners David Gold and David Sullivan and, on one particular occasion, with their chief executive Karren Brady.

“When I sold her husband (Paul Peschisolido) to West Brom, let’s just say she wasn’t very happy,” he said. “Her language was somewhat colourful.”

He returned to the game soon after with Crystal Palace but did not seek work in management again after being sacked at Selhurst Park in 2003.

He went on to forge a media career as a football pundit and co-commentator. He suffered a heart attack in 2013 but made a full recovery.

He leaves two sons, Matthew and James. His wife Helen, whom he married in 1974, died in 2017.

Michael Dods’ Commanche Falls could be set for a Curragh return after his tough success in the Hackwood Stakes at Newbury.

The six-year-old is enjoying a fine season and was third in the Duke of York before winning the Listed Dash Stakes at the Irish track in early July.

That run set him up for a Group Three outing in the Hackwood at the weekend, though wet weather left the ground softer than ideal as he left the stalls the 4-1 favourite.

The gelding did not look to be enjoying conditions early on under Connor Beasley, but as the race reached the final furlong, he edged through a gap to lunge over the line in a group finish.

Commanche Falls had prevailed by a head from Clive Cox’s Diligent Harry and could now head back to the Curragh as he holds an entry for the Rathasker Stud Phoenix Sprint Stakes in August.

“He’s been out in the paddock every day since, he’s eaten up and he looks good,” Dods said.

“The ground really wasn’t to his liking as you could see, he looked beaten at halfway but Connor switched him and asked him a few questions and he showed a lot of guts and bravery to go through the gap and put the race to bed.

“There didn’t look to be a lot of a gap but he dug very deep, he showed his guts to get through it and win.

“He’s been unbelievable to be honest, he keeps surprising us. He never does anything the easy way because he’s usually the first horse off the bridle.

“He looks beaten and then he digs deep, once he gets into gear he motors to the line.”

Of the Curragh trip, which would be dependent on suitable ground, Dods added: “That is the plan, all things being well. I don’t think I would travel over there if it was very soft ground, we’d have to have a rethink.

“All things being well and on decent enough ground, the plan is to go there in August.”

Dods also has another classy sprinter in Azure Blue, who beat Commanche Falls and Highfield Princess to land the Group Two Duke of York on the Knavesmire in May.

The grey then headed for the July Cup at Newmarket but came home sixth under Paul Mulrennan having pulled hard in the early stages.

A York comeback could be on the cards now as the filly holds an entry for the Group One Nunthorpe over five furlongs in late August.

“We’ve given her an easy week, I thought she ran a bit free at Newmarket. Whether it was the sticky ground or what, but she seems well,” said Dods.

“She’s been out in the paddock and we’ll probably start her off this week again cantering and build her up to go again.

“I’ve got to discuss with the owners, she’s got quite a few entries, so we’ll have to decide where to go but she’s in good fettle anyway.

Of the Nunthorpe entry, the trainer said: “It’s definitely in the picture, she’s got other entries as well but I’d like to think she could end up going there.”

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.