Liverpool legend John Barnes is facing bankruptcy over an unpaid tax bill of over £300,000.
The 59-year-old is the subject of a bankruptcy petition from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) for the seventh time. It is not known whether Barnes will oppose the petition or choose to settle his debts to avoid being declared bankrupt.
In a brief hearing at London's High Court on Monday, it was confirmed Barnes is on the brink of becoming bankrupt, although the former England winger was not present at the time. HMRC officer Megan Vanderhook said: "There has been no contact from Mr Barnes, but his agent has requested an adjournment."
As per The Sun, the case will resume on February 27 next year, with Barnes expected to take insolvency advice ahead of the court meeting. This follows a series of controversial events involving Barnes after he accused the British public of "bullying" Qatar ahead of the World Cup.
He told fans from Western countries to "stop lecturing" the World Cup hosts on their human rights record. The Middle Eastern nation have been heavily criticised over their stance on women's rights and the LGBTQ community, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino adding fuel to the fire when he claimed he felt homosexual. He said: "Today I feel Qatari, I feel gay, I feel disabled".
Meanwhile, Barnes has also tried his hand as a manager, author, commentator and pundit since retiring from playing in 1999. Having came through the ranks at Watford, Barnes made his senior debut in 1981 and cemented himself as a first-team regular at the Hornets.
After an impressive 296 appearances and 85 goals, Barnes made the big-money switch to Liverpool in 1987 and instantly became a cult hero at Anfield with his performances on the left flank. The Jamaican-born attacker won two First Division titles and two FA Cups during his time in the North-West, while also striking 106 times in 403 matches in his 10-year stint at the Reds.
Barnes made the move further up north to Newcastle for the twilight years of his career, before joining Charlton Athletic as his final club. During his international days, Barnes was capped 79 times by England and is known for his role in the song 'World in Motion', where he rapped in New Order's No. 1 single.
Following retirement, Barnes stepped into management and coached Celtic, Jamaica and Tranmere, before being declared bankrupt in 2009 over tax debts just days after being fired at the Super White Army. At the time, Barnes said the issue was a "tax oversight" before the order was later rescinded.
According to Land Registry documents, Barnes was also the subject of bankruptcy petitions in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2019. He returned to Liverpool as an ambassador last month before it was confirmed he is in danger of falling into bankruptcy as 2023 approaches.
An HMRC spokesperson 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."
