Former England Star Trevor Sinclair Declared Bankrupt After Failing to Pay Tax Bill 342016

Ex-England international Trevor Sinclair has been judged bankrupt after failing to settle a debt of more than £36,000. 

Sinclair, who featured in the FIFA World Cup and played for multiple Premier League clubs, racked up debts and penalties totalling £36,424.

The debt was related to the Premier League punditry work he conducted in the 2021/22 tax year. He was supposed to pay the fine or come up with an alternative solution on Thursday, June 12.

After he missed his court hearing on Thursday, the UK’s tax, payments and customs authority, HMRC, declared him bankrupt.

Trevor Sinclair Missed Tax Payments After ant’s Death 54o1s

Trevor Sinclair made a fortune in his career. After playing for QPR, Manchester City — one of the two Premier League teams in the Club World Cup — and West Ham United, he became a full-time pundit. He earned handsomely for his expert analysis.

However, even his punditry income could not keep up with his expensive lifestyle. As per The Independent, he had accumulated a debt of £36,424 over unpaid tax and fines.

In April, the case was heard at the Central London County Court. HMRC lawyers said Sinclair owed two sums of over £13,000 for his punditry work in addition to National Insurance and penalty payments. Sinclair reportedly failed to cover his dues after his ant ed away.

England football star Trevor Sinclair is made bankrupt after 'burying his head in the sand' over £36,000 unpaid tax bill https://t.co/uGPw8XOYTl

— Mail Sport (@MailSport) June 13, 2025

HMRC wanted the bankruptcy order in April itself, but Judge Wilkinson gave him some additional time, saying:

“Mr Sinclair has to wake up to the fact that there’s no more head in the sand because this is serious.”

At the time, Sinclair’s lawyer, Robert Lee, said he was doing media work in Saudi Arabia. He hinted that the Englishman would land a job there and be solvent enough to pay off his debts.

Although Saudi Arabia is known for offering lucrative deals, including a £1m per week contract to Kevin De Bruyne, the country had no room for Sinclair.

Ex-England Star Trevor Sinclair Bankrupt Over Unpaid Taxes and Penalties 5v4ef

Trevor Sinclair needed to present a solution in Thursday’s court hearing. After he failed to show up altogether, Judge Caroline Wilkinson declared him bankrupt.

She said:

“Mr Sinclair is not in attendance today, and no proposals have been put forward for paying his debt. In the circumstances, the court finds that Mr Sinclair is unable to pay his debts as they fall due and it will make the bankruptcy order.”

Sinclair began his career at Blackpool before moving to Premier League side QPR in 1993. He moved to West Ham United in 1998 and played regularly for four-and-a-half years. In July 2003, Man City prized him away and kept him for four seasons. Sinclair moved to Cardiff City in July 2007 and retired the following summer.

Joe Cole's cross 👌@trevor8sinclair's finish 🙌#GoalOfTheDay @WestHamUtd ⚒ pic.twitter.com/f1Fw7v6lSt

— Premier League (@premierleague) June 23, 2017

Sinclair played 360 matches in the Premier League, recording 52 goals and 45 assists.

For England, he played 12 matches across competitions. Four of them came in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He, however, could not score for the Three Lions.

List of Prominent Premier League Players Who Went Bankrupt 536l5m

Trevor Sinclair is not the first Premier League player to go bankrupt, and he certainly will not be the last one.

According to XPro, 40% of professional footballers go bankrupt within five years of retirement. Here are some of the top names who suffered this misfortune.