Jamie Carragher is embroiled in a battle with the taxman, after His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) filed a bankruptcy petition against him on Wednesday. The 48-year-old was named in records filed at the High Court by officials this week, identified by his full name of James Lee Duncan Carragher as a "litigant in Person."
HMRC's response and Carragher's silence
Our sister the Mirror has contacted Carragher for response, while the HMRC has explained that they cannot comment on individuals through laws relating to taxpayer confidentiality. A spokesperson for the HMRC explained: "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's wealth and career
Reports claim that the father of two harbours a net worth in excess of £16million, earning an annual salary of as much as £5m during the peak of his playing days with Liverpool. It is also suggested that Carragher earns around £1m yearly through his work as a pundit for Sky Sports in the UK and CBS stateside. Elsewhere, the Liverpudlian also makes regular appearances on Stick To Football, alongside long-time broadcasting partner, Gary Neville.
Past controversy and legacy
In 2018, Carragher apologised after he was filmed spitting on a 14-year-old girl and her father while driving his Range Rover. He was captured through the window of his vehicle in the aftermath of Liverpool's 2-1 loss to Manchester United. Speaking about the incident during a podcast 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." He added: "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."
A club legend with Liverpool with a career spanning 17 years, Carragher racked up 737 appearances for the club, lifting five domestic cups, a UEFA Cup, two UEFA Super Cups and a Champions League title. The former defender also earned 38 caps for England between 1999 and 2010, selected by the Three Lions for Euro 2004, as well as the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.
