Ex-Man Utd star breaks silence on going BANKRUPT

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Photo: @WesBrown24

Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown has spoken publicly about his struggles after being declared bankrupt last year.

Brown earned £50,000-a-week at one stage during his 15-year stay at Old Trafford but has struggled with financial woes in recent years.

HMRC filed a bankruptcy petition against the 44-year-old in February 2023, and the petition was rubber-stamped at the High Court two months later.

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Several factors are believed to have contributed to Brown's financial difficulties, including his company collapsing, bad property deals and overpaying on a farm.

Speaking on the Ben Heath Podcast, Brown has spoken about how his financial crisis occurred.

I think the main thing is when you are making a lot of money, you need the right people, don't you? And I would say that's one of the things I didn't have.

It was a little bit different. It wasn't lots of people you go and speak to and you maybe meet people and do this do that. I wasn't interested in any of that. You said yes and got on with it.

It's a long story and I won't go into the detail, but it's stuff that happened a long time ago with certain investments and getting into stuff that as a young kid, a lot of people go into, [but] don't really understand it.

It's what a lot of people are doing and then it came to a head last year, and that's how it went.

It's happened and I'm just getting on with it but it's one of those things where you hope people, especially this generation, don't get involved in.

Brown, who split from his reality TV star wife Leanne in 2022 following 20 years of marriage, said other players have indicated to him they're in similar situations today.

I've had a lot of players that have said, "I'm in the same thing."

I won't say names and it doesn't necessarily mean that the same outcome will happen to them.

But it's stuff like when you're kids you don't really understand it anyway, you just assume a lot of people are doing it and it's fine. That's not your life, you're just playing football.

A lot of people have been able to get themselves out of it or they're still involved in sorting it out or whatever, but I just couldn't. There's not much I could do.

Brown's ex-wife Leanne had previously spoken about their financial situation when the couple were together.

Yes we've got a lovely life and all this money and I'm not saying the money isn't great but when you're in it you're living in this bubble.

Although the fans can be amazing they can also be very cruel.

It must be hard [for footballers] to deal with to be on top one minute and hated the next for a bad kick or missing the goal.

We are the ones that are left to pick up the pieces and bear the brunt of whatever is left at the end of their careers.

Brown spent much of his career with the Red Devils and won his fair share of honours in his stint at the club, including five Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues.

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The former Sunderland and Blackburn Rovers man wasn't the only player to suffer financial problems after calling it a career.

Former Liverpool and Manchester City star Craig Bellamy was declared bankrupt last year despite earning millions throughout his career.

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