Former 'Celebrity Big Brother’ star Jermaine Pennant says going bankrupt “did not happen overnight”.
Jermaine Pennant has opened up about his journey to bankruptcy
The former Arsenal and Liverpool winger attributed his financial woes - which culminated in a surprise £1 million tax bill - to many “bad decisions” like not keeping track of the ins and outs from his bank, which he attributes to be a feature of his newly diagnosed ADHD.
In an interview with The Sun newspaper, the 39-year-old ex-footballer said: “The bankruptcy did not happen overnight. It came from years of bad decisions and ignoring things.
“We disputed the tax bill and I still do not know what it is for.
“But that is the thing that led to the bankruptcy more than anything else. I had no idea what I was earning and what was coming out of my account.
“Because of my ADHD, I would just ignore things and bury my head in the sand, even forgetting I owned a house.”
Jermaine - who now lives in Surrey with his actress girlfriend Jess Impiazzi, 33, and has a 12-year-old son with his ex-partner, Babestation model Alice Goodwin - is using his bankruptcy as an opportunity to “rebuild” and despite his financial woes he is “happier than ever”.
He said: "It is not an ideal situation being made bankrupt — but it means I can rebuild my life and make a fresh start.”
The TalkSport pundit - who at one point made £30,000 a week playing in the Premier League - began his career as a teenager knowing “nothing about finances and money”.
Jermaine said: “I came from a rough council estate and became a ‘wonderkid’ when I was 15. I had no education really and knew nothing about finances and money.
“No one at Arsenal helped me — they just stuck me in digs with a family. I would go training, go home and then be left to my own devices and hangers-on.
“I developed an ego and had no self-worth so tried to gain it by showing I had money.”
Jermaine confessed his drink driving conviction - which in 2005 led him to be sentenced behind bars for three months - was the thing he was “most ashamed” of while lamenting his other regrets like spilling about his bedroom habits and going on reality telly.
He said: “The thing I am most ashamed of is the drink-driving.
“I also regret what I said in the book — and regret writing it. It was another case of taking bad advice, and of not thinking of the consequences because of ADHD.
“My agent Sky Andrew suffered during these periods because he was trying to make me listen to good advice but I was on the fast train to destruction".
“I thought everything would be OK but Ashley was not happy although we are still friends now.
“I also regret going on Big Brother and don’t think that was a great decision for me.”