A look at eight big-name footballers who somehow managed to go bankrupt, including former Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United stars…
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Liverpool FC blog
1) John Arne Riise
Formerly of Liverpool, John Arne Riise may be a Champions League winner, but got some things wrong off the pitch as some business star-ups in Norway failed and he found himself bankrupt in 2007.
2) Brad Friedel
Long one of the biggest names in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Brad Friedel found himself £5m in debt after struggling to fund a big academy project he’d set up.
3) David James
A former star goalkeeper for big clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City as well as for England, David James hit hard times last year and was forced to sell a large amount of his football memorabilia to make up the debt.
4) Celestine Babayaro
Known for his time in the Premier League with Chelsea and Newcastle United, Nigerian left-back Celestine Babayaro handled his money badly despite earning around £25,000 per week, and was declared bankrupt in 2011.
5) John Carew
Formerly of Aston Villa, John Carew was one of the top strikers in Europe during the early 2000s, but found himself in trouble over unpaid taxes in 2011, declaring himself bankrupt at the time.
6) Eric Djemba Djemba
Well known for being one of Manchester United’s biggest ever flops, Eric Djemba Djemba also handled his accounts badly and over-spent on nice cars whilst earning big at Old Trafford.
7) Lee Hendrie
Once a rich Premier League footballer who invested in the property market, things went downhill in Lee Hendrie’s career and he found himself bankrupt in 2008.
8) Keith Gillespie
A former Manchester United youth prodigy, things never quite worked out for Keith Gillespie, who also made some questionable investment decisions off the pitch to end up bankrupt by 2010, around £7m in debt.
