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England legend Trevor Sinclair bankrupt after 'burying head in sand' over 36k debt

Former Manchester City, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers winger Trevor Sinclair failed to turn up for court as the ex-England star turned football pundit was declared bankrupt

[Trevor Sinclair has been declared bankrupt]

Trevor Sinclair has been declared bankrupt(Image: (Image: Getty))

Former England winger Trevor Sinclair has been made bankrupt after "burying his head in the sand" over a 36,000 tax debt.

The ex-Manchester City, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers star won 12 England caps during his career and made a fortune before becoming a pundit on TV and radio, then a football coach. But he was hauled to court and made bankrupt by His Majesty's Revenue & Customs (HMRC) after failing to pay taxes and penalties totalling 36,424 in relation to pundit work in the 2021-22 year.

The outspoken 52-year-old had previously been given extra time to come up with the money or alternative proposals to pay, but didn't turn up at court yesterday and was adjudged bankrupt. Judge Caroline Wilkinson said HMRC had received no contact from the former star and concluded that he is "unable to pay his debts as they fall due".

The case previously reached Central London County Court in April when the judge heard that Sinclair ended up owing a sizeable chunk of cash to the taxman after his accountant died.

The amount owed relates to the 2021-22 tax year and includes two large sums of over 13,000 for work as a pundit, plus outstanding National Insurance and penalty payments, HMRC lawyers said.

[Trevor Sinclair]

Trevor Sinclair worked as a football pundit after hanging up his boots(Image: (Image: Getty))

The taxman had wanted a bankruptcy order, with HMRC barrister Shabab Rizvi saying: The debtor is a former Premier League footballer and should have the means to satisfy the debt, but there's been no contact with HMRC at all."

However, the case was adjourned to give him more time to pay after his lawyer Robert Lee told the court Sinclair was working in the media and "currently in receipt of a job offer in Saudi Arabia". He said the debt arose from Sinclair "being considered self-employed when he ought not to have been".

Giving him the extra time in April, Judge Wilkinson warned the former footballer he had to face the reality of his situation, commenting: "Mr Sinclair has to wake up to the fact that theres no more head in the sand because this is serious."

[Trevor Sinclair in his West Ham days]

Trevor Sinclair in his West Ham days(Image: GETTY )

But when the case returned to court yesterday, the HMRC barrister disclosed that Sinclair had again failed to materialise, asking the judge to confirm HMRCs bankruptcy petition.

"The last hearing was adjourned in order for proposals to be put forward by Mr Sinclair, but we have received no contact from him since then and nor have any proposals been put forward," she said.

Judge Wilkinson, making the bankruptcy order, said the case had been paused for Sinclair to consider pursuing an alternative to bankruptcy such as an "individual voluntary arrangement".

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"Mr Sinclair is not in attendance today and no proposals have been put forward for paying his debt," she continued. "In the circumstances, the court finds that Mr Sinclair is unable to pay his debts as they fall due and it will make the bankruptcy order."

Sinclair played four times for England at the 2002 World Cup and also scored the Match of the Day goal of the season in 1997 for a spectacular bicycle kick for QPR against Barnsley FC.

He retired in 2008, but his later career as a TV and radio pundit tailed off when he questioned why "black and brown people" were mourning the Queen in 2022, which led to him being taken off the air by talkSPORT.

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