John Barnes, the former England and Liverpool star who made history as the first footballer to earn £10,000 a week, has opened up about his ongoing financial struggles and a long-running dispute with the UK tax authorities.
In a revealing interview on the All Things Business podcast, Barnes sought to clarify what he describes as “misleading” media reports surrounding his finances. He disclosed that he has been in a repayment agreement with HMRC since 2017 after suffering significant losses from poorly advised investments.
“I was making a lot of money, I was the first £10,000-a-week footballer and benefited from that for a few years,” Barnes said. “Like a lot of elite sportspeople, I got burned because I trusted people. I got caught out a couple of times and ended up losing between £1 million and £1.5 million over four years.”
According to Barnes, he has repaid around £2.2 million over the past eight years and continues to pay £10,000 each month under an arrangement with HMRC. “In 2017, I began talking to HMRC about what I could do to repay what I owed,” he said.
In April 2024, the Insolvency Service banned the 60-year-old from serving as a company director after one of his businesses failed to pay £190,000 in taxes. More recently, in August 2025, reports surfaced that HMRC had filed a petition at the High Court over £1.5 million in outstanding debt.
Barnes stressed that he has been working with his legal team to resolve the matter and avoid bankruptcy. “I don’t want to be made bankrupt. I’ve already sold everything—I don’t have any assets,” he explained. “I go to court not to escape payment, but to request permission to keep paying.”
The former winger also expressed frustration over how the public narrative has painted him. “Every time something new comes up, stories appear in the press saying I’m not paying my taxes—when in fact, I’m going to court to make arrangements so I can keep paying,” he said. “Football is a working-class sport, and I don’t want hard-working people thinking I’ve got all this money and I’m dodging tax.”
Barnes noted that the negative press has affected his career opportunities, particularly in the corporate and financial sectors where he once had regular speaking engagements.
Despite these setbacks, he remains optimistic. “I’ve had a few sleepless nights, but it hasn’t had a major impact because I know how fortunate I still am,” he said. “There are so many people worse off. As long as I can work and keep paying, I’m thankful.”
He added that he felt compelled to speak out to correct public perception: “The only reason I’m doing this is because people are saying things that aren’t true. I don’t want to be seen as John Barnes, the ex-footballer hiding money and dodging taxes.”
Barnes earned 79 caps for England between 1983 and 1995 and later went on to manage Celtic. His legacy on the pitch remains significant, but his candid reflections off the pitch now highlight a different, deeply personal struggle—one of responsibility, resilience, and redemption.
