Former Socceroos captain Lucas Neill has broken his silence after being acquitted of a charge related to his bankruptcy.
In 2016, Neill was declared bankrupt in the United Kingdom after reports of a number of failed investments, despite earning millions from his football career which spanned from England, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Australia and Japan.
The former EPL star ended up in Preston Crown Court due to a charge relating to his failure to declare money he wasn’t aware he had, which could’ve led to a three-year prison sentence if he had been convicted.
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The Times reports the jury took 26 minutes to acquit him with the charge relating to an asset of 58 hectares held offshore, which he had forgotten to mention with an insolvency service.
Following the 2014 World Cup when former Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou dropped him, Neill has been sighted sparingly in the public.
Postecoglou had stated in his book Changing the Game that Neill had threatened to “go to ground” if he wasn’t picked, which he ultimately did.
Neill had been silent in the media too until an interview with The Times after the jury’s verdict.
“I’ve won my freedom, but I feel like I’ve lost in life,” he said.
“I feel like I didn’t protect my family … And that hurts. I let my family down.”
According to reports, Neill’s wife Lindsey Morris became the main income earner for the couple and their two young children.
Neill had a £900-a-month ($1700) footballer’s pension to live off.
The former right back isn’t the only high-profile football player to have been declared bankrupt, with Manchester United legend Wes Brown and ex-England player David James suffering the same fate recently.
Neill admits there’s a lesson to be learnt from his failed investments, declaring in the interview that his bankruptcy bombshell in 2016 was “rock bottom”.
“People say they want to advise you. Help you. People just constantly want to take a tiny slice out of you. Telling you they’re going to add value to what they’re doing. That’s just a lesson for all footballers,” he said.
“Do you need these professional financial advisers? I was very successful in the world of football, but I clearly wasn’t ready for this other world — the world of business. And I’ve learnt the hard way.”
After facing the prospect of time in prison, the 45-year-old is now focusing on rebuilding his life, which involves coaching football for women and girls and working for a digital firm.
“I don’t care about fame, or luxury. I just want to survive with my family and that’s it. We have our own definition of happiness,” he said to The Times.
“It might not be your definition, but it’s mine. Would we be happier with more choice? Of course, but we don’t complain. We’ve got each other.”