Former England 2002 World Cup Star Now ‘Facing Bankruptcy Battle’

Former England winger Trevor Sinclair – who was capped by the Three Lions on 12 occasions and, since last January, has been the assistant coach of the India national team – is currently facing a bankruptcy battle after ‘hiding his head in the sand’ over a £36,000 tax bill.

Sinclair, 52, earned a fortune during his playing days for Queens Park Rangers and Manchester City – and continued to line his pockets in his post-retirement life as he went on to become a TV and radio pundit for the likes of the BBC and talkSPORT.

However, his appearances as a pundit – both on television and the radio – dwindled after he asked why “black and brown people” should mourn the Queen. Sinclair later deleted the post and apologised for his remarks, but he went on to make just one more appearance on talkSPORT.

He was also axed by the Beeb – a job that he began in 2015 after seven years of retirement life – in 2018 after he injured a woman while driving drunk and, according to a report from The Sun, the Dulwich-born man is now facing a court bid.

HMRC are demanding that he settle an unpaid tax bill from 2021/22. As mentioned, the Blackpool academy graduate has worked for talkSPORT and, more notably, two of the BBC’s most-watched shows: Football Focus and Final Score.

Central London County Court are aware of Sinclair’s case after hearing that he landed himself in hot water in regard to his finances. It’s said that, after his accountant passed away, he ‘hid his head in the sand’ over a sum of money he owed to the taxman.

Shabab Rizvi, who works on behalf of HMRC, has told Judge Caroline Wilkinson that Sinclair, who concluded his playing days at Cardiff City in 2008, has constantly ignored demands for payment – and, thus, they are seeking a bankruptcy order.

A representative for the ex-wide man, Robert Lee, has asked the judge to delay the order to give Sinclair extra time as his mounting financial troubles were as a result of his accountant’s death. “Mr Sinclair is seeking an adjournment. He is a former Premier League footballer, and he was working in the media. Mr Sinclair is currently in receipt of a job offer in Saudi Arabia.”

For a two-month period, the court was adjourned to allow Sinclair the time to gather and pay off the money – which is believed to be two ‘large sums of £13,000-odd’ of tax debt alongside his overdue National Insurance and penalty payments.