Former Liverpool and England defender turned football pundit Jamie Carragher is facing a bankruptcy petition over an unpaid tax bill reportedly estimated at between £700,000 and £800,000.
Documents seen by the BBC showed that a case was filed against James Lee Duncan Carragher on Wednesday.
The bankruptcy petition was filed by lawyers representing HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and was first reported by City AM.
An HMRC spokesperson told BBC Sport that the agency does not comment on individual cases but said it takes a supportive approach to customers with tax debts and works with them to resolve outstanding liabilities.
The spokesperson said HMRC only petitions for bankruptcy as a last resort, adding that payment arrangements such as instalment plans can be offered to customers who engage with the agency.
Carragher, who spent his entire professional playing career with Liverpool between 1996 and 2013, has since established himself as a prominent football pundit.
He regularly features on Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage, the Stick to Football programme and CBS Sports’ Champions League broadcasts.
A spokesperson for Carragher described the matter as a private tax issue and said steps were being taken to settle the outstanding bill.
“This is a private tax matter that should have been resolved sooner, and the appropriate steps are being taken today to settle it,” the spokesperson said.
The representative added that the matter was expected to be resolved imminently and would not proceed further.
Carragher is among several former footballers who have faced financial difficulties involving tax liabilities following their playing careers.
Former England internationals David James, Wes Brown and Lee Hendrie have previously been declared bankrupt, while Carragher’s former Liverpool teammate Emile Heskey lost a legal battle over an unpaid £1.637m tax bill in 2024.
Former England international Trevor Sinclair was declared bankrupt in 2025 after failing to settle a tax bill exceeding £36,000. Former England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips was also petitioned for bankruptcy by HMRC at the High Court in London in the same year.
Last September, reports indicated that as many as 200 footballers could have suffered significant financial losses, with some reportedly losing their homes or being declared bankrupt.
Former England midfielder and Match of the Day pundit Danny Murphy has also spoken publicly about losing around £5m, describing the experience as “financial abuse.”
