Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher is facing a legal battle with the taxman after HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) filed a bankruptcy petition against him. The 48-year-old Sky Sports pundit was named in court records filed at the High Court yesterday under his full name, James Lee Duncan Carragher, listed as a "litigant in Person".
HMRC's Approach to Tax Debts
HMRC has declined to comment on Carragher's case, citing taxpayer confidentiality law. However, a spokesperson for the department said: "We take a supportive approach to dealing with customers who have tax debts and do everything we can to help those who engage with us to get out of debt, such as offering instalment plans. We only petition for bankruptcy as a last resort."
Carragher has been contacted by the Mirror for comment. The petition marks a significant development in his financial affairs, which have previously been reported to include a net worth of more than £16m.
Career Earnings and Media Work
Reports claim the father-of-two earned as much as £5m a year at the peak of his playing career. Since retiring from football in 2013, he has held lucrative contracts with Sky Sports, reportedly earning up to £1m a year as a pundit. He also works for US network CBS Sports and makes regular appearances on the Stick To Football podcast and YouTube show, part of Gary Neville's The Overlap media business.
Carragher's media career has not been without controversy. In 2018, he apologised after being filmed spitting at a 14-year-old girl and her father through the window of his Range Rover, following Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.
Reflection and Football Legacy
Reflecting on the incident in a podcast interview with Alistair Campbell, Carragher said: "We were devastated by it really, you go back and think the aftermath of it, you do interviews and apologising, and I had to come back to my family that day, sometimes you think back and think how did you get through it. I just snapped, can't explain why I did it. It will probably haunt me for the rest of my life. It's probably taken me six to 12 months to get over it in some ways. I got great support at the time, I was very lucky with that. As soon as I got home I told my wife, I knew straight away, I just thought 'oh my god'. My wife was unbelievable for me."
Carragher established himself as a one-club legend at Anfield, making 737 appearances during his 17-year career. He won three League Cups, two FA Cups, a UEFA Cup, two UEFA Super Cups and the 2005 Champions League. He also earned 38 caps for England between 1999 and 2010, playing at Euro 2004 and the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. The bankruptcy petition now adds a new chapter to his post-playing career.
