Former West Ham and Blackburn star Lucas Neill has said he “learned the hard way” after poor financial advice led him down the path to bankruptcy.
The Australia international defender made more than 250 Premier League appearances, captaining the Hammers and also wearing the armband for his country. However, after being declared bankrupt in the UK in 2016, he has been unable to own a mobile phone on a contract.
Neill, 45, stood trial this month over a failure to declare assets but was acquitted. He avoided a potential three-year jail sentence, but has been reflecting on the decisions and advice which have brought him to this point.