Ex-Liverpool and England midfielder John Barnes has been declared bankrupt by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs - but he insists it is nothing more than a tax oversight which he is working to resolve.
Details of the bankruptcy petition began to emerge at the beginning of the week when a form from the Insolvency Service was circulating online. News then broke on Thursday in the national press.
An Insolvency Service spokeswoman told the Liverpool Echo that they would "dispose of his assets and pay back his creditors". It has not been disclosed how much Barnes owes the tax man.
Barnes' home in Heswall is currently on the market for £650,000.
Barnes insisted: ''The bankruptcy issue is a tax oversight which is being dealt with.''
In March, the Barnes told The Daily Telegraph: ''I don't like dealing with taxes of course. 'I just hate not having enough money. Apart from that, I don't like dealing with bills and never have done. I let my wife Andrea deal with them.
''I don't even like opening them. A few times my credit card has been declined when I've been travelling abroad. Then I have to get creative about paying the bill and have to really root around. That's much more satisfying than just having it come easily.''
Barnes was manager of League One side Tranmere Rovers for a short spell until he was sacked earlier this month. Before that he was in charge of the Jamaican national team.
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