CARRAGHER AVOIDS BANKRUPTCY AFTER SETTLING HMRC TAX BILL

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher will not be made bankrupt after settling an unpaid tax bill with HM Revenue and Customs. Judge Nicholas Briggs dismissed a bankruptcy petition brought against Carragher at the Insolvency and Companies Court in London. Kevin Hassan, representing HMRC, told the hearing that the debt had been paid, though no figure was given in court. The bankruptcy petition had been issued against Carragher in August. One report put the outstanding bill at between £700,000 and £800,000, while another described it as "up to £800,000".

Carragher, who is from Merseyside, spent his entire professional career at Liverpool, making 737 appearances for the club before retiring in 2013. He was part of the Liverpool squad that won the Champions League in 2005. Since retiring from playing, he has worked as a football pundit, appearing on Sky Sports and CBS Sports. The bankruptcy petition had first been reported in August, with the tax dispute running for several months before Tuesday's hearing.

The dismissal of the petition brings the tax dispute to a close, with HMRC's representative confirming to the court that the debt has been settled in full. No further proceedings were outstanding at the time of the hearing. Carragher did not comment publicly on the case following the ruling, according to the available reports. The case was heard at the Insolvency and Companies Court as part of standard HMRC debt recovery proceedings.