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Former Premier League footballer Lee Clark has been declared bankrupt due to a debt owed to a business finance firm called One Stop Business, based in York. Clark, who played for Newcastle United, Sunderland, and Fulham, stated he "had no idea" about the bankruptcy order, which was filed with the London Gazette today.
The order means all of Clark's assets will be frozen and placed under the control of the Insolvency Service. His bank accounts, savings, and other valuable possessions could be used to settle his unsecured debts. When approached at his £2 million mansion in Jesmond, Newcastle, Clark expressed ignorance of the situation, saying, "I have no idea," and later, "I have no comment to make. I know nothing. Don't keep pressing the buzzer."
Clark had a significant playing career, making over 200 appearances for Newcastle United across two spells and achieving Premier League promotions with both Fulham and Sunderland. He played over 400 top-flight games and represented England at the Under-21 level. He was part of Kevin Keegan's "Entertainers" at Newcastle in the 1990s before a high-profile £2.5 million transfer to Sunderland in 1997. His time at Sunderland ended controversially when he was seen wearing a derogatory T-shirt aimed at Sunderland fans at the 1999 FA Cup final. He later played for Fulham before a brief return to Newcastle.
After retiring from playing in 2006, Clark moved into management, with stints at Huddersfield, Birmingham City, Blackpool, and clubs in Sudan and Oman. His son, Bobby, played for Liverpool before joining RB Salzburg.
Former Sunderland player Lee Clark, who was a popular and highly-rated figure during his time at the club and even captained them to promotion from Division One in the 1998/99 season, has recently been working as a TV and radio pundit.
When asked by Ally McCoist on talkSPORT about Sunderland potentially winning a play-off final, Clark expressed his strong desire to see Sunderland and Middlesbrough in the Premier League.
