Martin O'Neill: Trevor Francis had a really nice, dry sense of humour

When Brian Clough signed Trevor Francis for Nottingham Forest for £1m, it was a big big statement 

RIP: Trevor Francis races through the Malmo defence during the 1979 European Cup Final between Malmo and Nottingham Forest at the Olympic Stadium in Munich, Germany. Pic: Allsport/Getty Images)

Trevor Francis coming to Nottingham Forest in 1979 was a big statement by Brian Clough and Peter Taylor. They had been used to making big statements in the previous couple of years. The year we got promotion, along comes Larry Lloyd; a big player at Liverpool, went to Coventry and we were able to persuade him to drop down a division. Within five or six games of promotion, Peter Shilton becomes a massive signing for us. I think he was the most expensive goalkeeper in the world at the time, £275,000 or thereabouts. So Clough and Taylor had been making statements alright. But then when you go £1m for a player, breaking the British transfer record in such major fashion? A big, big statement.

So Trevor arrives. I don’t think he is finished signing the contracts and someone asks Trevor: “When do you expect to play?” Brian Clough intercepts: “When I pick him.”