Emile Heskey’s bankruptcy is reportedly the latest in a long line of footballers who have lost their wealth and been left penniless.
The former Leicester City, Liverpool and Aston Villa star is allegedly facing bankruptcy after HMRC filed a high court petition against him.
Heskey, 45, won 62 England caps and was worth an estimated £12 million at one stage. But according to reports, he has struggled financially since becoming embroiled in a celebrity investment scheme.
The scheme is said to be at the centre of a £1.6 billion tax dispute, with this the latest of multiple financial issues reported involving Heskey.
But Emile Heskey’s bankruptcy is far from the first to happen in football. With many other stars losing their riches before him, we’ve taken a look at some of the biggest names in football to suffer from serious money problems over the years.
Wes Brown
Former Manchester United and England star Wes Brown is one of the most recent names to declare bankruptcy. In February 2023, HMRC filed a bankruptcy petition against Brown, which was passed on 12 April.
🚨 Marcus Rashford has offered Wes Brown “mates rates” on a rented house after the former Manchester United player was declared bankrupt by the High Court a couple of weeks ago.
(Source: @MailSport) pic.twitter.com/J3NGRTldxb
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) May 4, 2023
Brown was a five-time Premier League winner at Manchester United, and retired in 2018. The former Sunderland and Blackburn defender won 23 England caps from 199-2010.
John Arne-Riise
Emile Heskey’s bankruptcy was not the first for an ex-Liverpool player. After winning the UEFA Champions League with the Reds in 2005, Norwegian fullback John Arne Riise was declared bankrupt just two years later.
An order by Liverpool Crown Court was given due to unpaid debts of £100,000 after a legal dispute with his former agent.
Riise played for AS Roma in Serie A as well as Fulham, retiring in 2017 back home in Norway. He has since appeared on a TV show aimed at helping those who’ve struggled financially get back on their feet.
David James
David James for the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008, but was declared bankrupt in 2014. After divorcing his former wife Tanya in 2005, the former England keeper was left struggling with debs.
James had to sell off a large amount of football memorabilia from his career, such as shirts, balls and boots.
Emmanuel Eboue
At one stage, former Arsenal and Galatasaray star Emmanuel Eboue was winning League Cups and Turkish titles.
But following some bad investments, he was on the verge of bankruptcy. In 2018, he revealed to The Mirror that he couldn’t afford his Sky Sports subscription, so had to watch Arsenal games at his local pub.
He said at the time: “I sat, I took a beer and I watched the game. But I kept my hood over my head and I hardly raised it because I knew that the Arsenal fans would recognise me.”
Brad Friedel
Aston Villa’s oldest ever player at 39 years and 259 days, Brad Friedel was one of the most experienced players in football when he eventually retired with Tottenham in 2015.
But in 2011, the former US international was declared bankrupt by Macclesfield County Court after racking up nearly £5 million in debt.
He also faced a repossession order on a £260,000 house he had purchased in Ohio. Friedel’s troubles started in 2007 after he opened the Premier Soccer Academy, an ambitious venture which ultimately failed.
Paul Gascoigne
England legend Gazza actually managed to avoid bankruptcy in 2016. This was despite an unpaid tax bill of £42,000 to HMRC.
The former Spurs, Rangers and Newcastle United star has been through some well-documented problems. At one stage, his debts reportedly hit £200,000.
Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup celebrate for Rangers. pic.twitter.com/IP8NnznXyu
— 90s Football (@90sfootball) January 5, 2024
Troubled by depression and addiction, Gascoigne entered rehab on multiple occasions, but has worked hard to overcome his problems in recent years.
Ronaldinho
Brazilian icon Ronaldinho reportedly had just £5 in his bank account at one stage in 2018. With debts reaching up to £1.75 million, the 43-year-old was fined heavily for illegal construction projects in Brazil.
Despite remortgaging properties, Ronaldinho could not recover the debts and had his passport seized by the authorities.
Adding to his woes, he spent time in a Paraguayan prison in 2020 for allegedly using false documents in an attempt to enter the country.
Diego Maradona
It was a massive fall from grace for FIFA’s player of the 20th century. Argentine hero Maradona, who tragically passed away in 2020, was declared bankrupt in 2009.
Twice commanding a world-record transfer fee, he racked up £42 million in unpaid taxes while at Napoli. With the Iatlian Tax Authority demanding repayment, he had no option but to file for bankruptcy.
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