Former Liverpool star Emile Heskey 'hit with bankruptcy petition'

Former Liverpool, Leicester and England star Emile Heskey has been hit with a bankruptcy petition filed by HMRC, according to a new report.

Heskey spent four years at Anfield as a player, winning six trophies and scoring 60 goals in 223 appearances.

Prior to that, he had another successful spell at Leicester where he established himself as one of the most reliable strikers in the Premier League.

The striker also received 62 caps for England, scoring seven goals and representing the Three Lions at four major tournaments in his career.

Since retiring in 2016 after spells at Aston Villa, Australian side Newcastle Jets and finally Bolton Wanderers, Heskey has moved into coaching and management roles.

He is currently head of football at Leicester City Women, having been at the club in different roles over the past three years.

The forward also spent a short time as interim boss, although didn't take charge of a game before the permanent change in management.

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Now, according to a report by The Sun, Heskey has been hit with a High Court bankruptcy petition filed by HMRC, although the reason for the petition is unclear. The Sun have contacted HMRC and Heskey for comment.

He joined a celebrity investment scheme that the same report claims is at the centre of a £1.6 billion tax dispute.

The scheme was reportedly run by financing company Ingenious Media, which has backed more than 60 films.

Earlier this year, the Daily Star reported that, via a filing on Companies House, a winding-up order had been placed on a celebrity bar which was funded by Heskey and his wife, due to unpaid debts. It was said that focus had turned towards opening a new bar in Spinningfields.

In 2022, The Telegraph reported that the 45-year-old had been found to have defaulted on £92,000 of tax while working as a 'football development officer' between 2017 and 2020, and was charged total penalties of £41,933.25.

SPORTbible contacted HMRC for comment, who stated that they could not comment on individual taxpayers.