Player Profile: Francis Jeffers

Full Name: Francis Jeffers
Date of Birth: 25th January 1981, Liverpool
Nationality: English
Position: Forward
Squad Number: 17
Internationals: 1 Cap, 1 Goal for England (2003-)
Signed: July 2006
Previous Clubs: Everton, Arsenal, Everton (loan), Charlton Athletic & Glasgow Rangers (loan)

Francis Jeffers has amounted transfer fees in excess of £10 million since he burst onto the scene as a teenager Everton but has struggled for sometime to live up to his reputation.

Bursting onto the scene in 1998 as a 17-year-old with Everton Jeffers eventually went on to make 60 League appearances for the Toffee's scoring 20 goals, also going on to score 13 goals in 16 England under-21 International games a record for that level shared with Blackburn Rovers legend Alan Shearer.

With a move away from Everton always likely it was Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger who snapped up Jeffers in the summer of 2001 for a fee of £8 million. His spell at Highbury was blighted by injury and poor form, seeing him manage only 8 goals in 39 appearances for the gunners.

Since the 2003-2004 season Franny has really struggled. In that season he returned to Goodison Park for a largely disappointing loan spell with Everton. He failed to score in 18 games and after falling out with David Moyes returned to Arsenal early.

A £2.6 million move across London for the start of the 2004-2005 season saw him join Charlton Athletic, but again he struggled; scoring only 5 goals in 24 matches, spending part of the 2005-2006 season on loan with Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers. Having signed a six-month loan in August 2005 after he failed to make an impact he returned to Charlton in December.

Being released at the end of his contract in the summer of 2006 Jeffers was linked to Championship side Coventry City, Premiership local rivals Bolton Wanders or maybe even a return to Everton but eventually returned to his native North West with his move to Rovers.

If anyone can bring the best out of Jeffers getting him back to anywhere near to his best form, the kind of form that saw him earn his one and so far only England cap in 2003 (when ironically he wouldn't have even been at his best!) with the match against Australian in which he scored as a second half substitute Mark Hughes and his coaching staff can.

Hopefully all being well Jeffers can regain his "fox in the box" tag during his time with Rovers.

The early signs are good as his movement has been superb and with his fitness returning all that is needed is that first League goal and the confidence will come flooding back. Up to the end of November this hadn't yet arrived, although he did open his Rovers account with a penalty in the UEFA Cup against Basel early in that month.

Blackburn Rovers appearances and goals up to the start of the 2006-2007 Season
League: 0
FA Cup: 0
League Cup: 0
Other (European etc.): 0
TOTAL: 0 - 0 goals

Jeffers only signed in July 2006 so he has no previous Rovers data.

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