Carragher facing bankruptcy petition over unpaid tax claim

What the report says

Former Liverpool and England defender Jamie Carragher is facing a bankruptcy petition over an unpaid tax claim, according to BBC Sport. The broadcaster said documents seen by it show a case was filed against Carragher, whose full name is James Lee Duncan Carragher, on Wednesday. The reported tax debt is said to be in the range of £700,000 to £800,000, though BBC Sport noted that HM Revenue and Customs does not comment on individual cases.

The petition was filed by lawyers acting for HMRC, and the report said bankruptcy is used only as a last resort when tax debts are not resolved. Carragher’s representatives were approached for comment, and a spokesperson said this was a private tax matter that should have been dealt with earlier and that steps were now being taken to settle it.

Carragher, who played for Liverpool from 1996 to 2013, is now a regular pundit on Sky Sports and appears on programmes including Stick To Football and CBS Sports’ Champions League coverage. The development matters because it involves a high-profile former player and broadcaster, and because bankruptcy proceedings can have serious financial and reputational consequences. BBC Sport reported that the matter is understood not to proceed further and is expected to be resolved imminently.