Who was the first million-pound footballer?

Trevor Francis was the first million-pound footballer in the UK. The British star eclipsed the mark on February 9, 1979, when Nottingham Forest purchased him from Birmingham City.

According to Nottingham manager Brian Cough, the deal was actually one pound short of the one-million mark, done to prevent the signing from getting to the player's head. However, after taxes, the fee was 1.18 million. The move proved worthwhile, as just four months later, Francis scored in the European Cup final to give Forest the first of two European titles. Francis left after two years, securing a second million-pound transfer in a move to Manchester City.