Kevin Francis was always easy to find on the football pitch but he is much harder to track down nowadays.

The 6 feet 7 inches tall striker was literally head and shoulders above most opponents and became a towering presence for Stockport County.

He was in many ways a talismanic figure during a memorable period for the club in the early 1990s.

These days the 42-year-old is still very much on patrol, although his patch is no longer the penalty area but a tiny corner of Canada. 

Francis works as a police constable in Calgary ensuring law and order is maintained in the city.

"My job involves general duties driving a police patrol car," he explained. "You won't find me walking the beat - why walk around for 12 hours when you can drive a car?" quips Francis.

He has been enjoying the Canadian culture for the last five years after one of his pals persuaded him to leave England.

"I was planning to go to Florida around the time of the 9/11 terrorist attacks but things changed after that for a lot of people over there so I had another look at my options.  

"A good friend I grew up with was out here in Canada in the police force. To be honest, joining the police force was not in my plans, it was the last thing on my mind," admitted Francis who initially started driving trucks once he finished playing football for a living.

"The truck driving was part of the reason I came over here in the first place. But my best buddy gave me the idea of joining the police and it's a job I enjoy immensely.

"You imagine what being on patrol is going to be like from the stuff you see on TV and there are days when it's like that and there are also times when it's quiet."

Francis took wife Sharon and daughter Keisha to Canada - his other daughter Stacey decided to stay behind in England to pursue her academic and sporting interests and is now a talented netball player at Bath University.  

Kevin has been heavily involved in coaching football since packing in playing full time nine years ago. "I strap the boots on now and again to play and they still keep sticking me up front. I coach teams over here in Canada and love being involved in the game."

Francis became a legend at Edgeley Park after he was signed by manager Danny Bergara from Derby County in 1991. "He was so infectious and he was the main reason I joined the club. Every story you may have heard about Danny was 100 per cent true. He wanted to get players to fit into his team and built this jigsaw."

Bergara was a little lovable Uruguayan and his bizarre quotes to the media were often puzzling. But Bergara, who died three years ago, knew precisely where to slot the pieces of his team and Francis was central to that formation.   

Goal record

The Big Man, as he was affectionately known, scored a staggering 88 goals in just 152 appearances during a four-year stint with the Hatters.

He became one of the most feared strikers in the lower divisions, scoring 28 league goals in consecutive seasons and helped the club to Wembley in the play offs and the Autoglass Trophy.   

"I've got wonderful memories of Stockport and the supporters. It was the biggest stage of my life as a person and as a footballer," he said without hesitation. The feeling of affection was mutual and a few years ago the fans voted Francis the 'County Player of the Century' at a dinner to mark 100 years of Edgeley Park.

"Andy Preece was my striking partner and we had a little bit of rivalry when it came to scoring goals and that would spur us on."

Francis hails from Birmingham so an offer to join the Midlanders in 1995 was too hard to resist and he was sold for a record £800,000.

He then joined Oxford and was picked to play for St Kitts and Nevis where his parents were born. "I'd never been to the place but got selected for the Shell Caribbean Cup. I'm surprised because I thought I'd have got the call from the England manager," he jokingly told his local paper in Oxford at the time.  

Francis was always a handful for opponents because of his height. "It had advantages and disadvantages to be honest. I always look out for Stockport's results and unfortunately things seem to have gone from bad to worse for them in the last couple of years. It's such a shame what's happened to the club.

"I've not been back to England since I came out here but when I do return I'm sure Stockport will be on my map and I'll also pop in to see my old team-mate Mike Flynn."

So one final question is how does Stockport compare with Calgary? 

"It's not as grey in Canada for one thing. At the moment I'm lying on the edge of my bed watching the sport on television with the sun shining and in the distance I can see the Rocky Mountains."

At least from Stockport there is a view of the Derbyshire hills and how the town's struggling football team could now do with a true giant who scaled a few peaks in his time with the club.

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