Ex-Rangers star Francis cut sons out of £2m will

LEGENDARY England striker Trevor Francis cut his two sons out of his £2million fortune when he died aged 69 last year.

He was Britain’s first-ever £1million footballer when he moved from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest in 1979 and went on to achieve huge success in the game, scoring the winning goal in the European Cup final that year. He also played for Rangers in 1987-88.

Legal papers show Francis ordered his brother Ian and sister Carolyn should be placed in control of his estate but left specific instructions that his children would not benefit from the will. It is understood that he was referring to his sons Matthew and James.

The causes of the rift with his sons were not given. But in 2013, James, then 26, was charged with burgling the Warwickshire home of former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie.

He was cleared by a jury after his father spoke up for him in court, where he insisted his boys were well brought up.

The will, written in February

2019, said: ‘I wish to make it clear in this, my will, that I have not included my children as beneficiaries due to the fact that we have become estranged following family differences over the last several months.

‘Neither of my children are financially dependent upon me.’

Probate records revealed that Francis left an estate valued at £1,896,918. It is believed further papers, that have not been made public, will deal with his estate in Spain. Capped 52 times for England, he died at his apartment in Marbella last July after a heart attack.

Francis, left, celebrated victory in the European Cup final in 1979, having scored in the 1-0 defeat of Malmo in Munich under the Forest manager Brian Clough. Francis, who asked to be cremated, was left heartbroken in 2017 when his beloved wife Helen died after their 45 years together.