A BANKRUPTCY hearing will determine how much former Blackburn Rovers captain Lucas Neill owes to his business associates – after the ex-Australian international went bust despite earning millions throughout his career.

Trustees are set to stage a gathering for creditors of the 38-year-old defender, who played 188 times for Rovers between 2001 and 2007, in Southend on June 9, where claim forms may be dealt with.

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Neill is said by his bankruptcy consultants, Begbies Traynor, to have no fewer than three registered addresses in East Lancashire, from a family home in Chapeltown Road, Turton to further properties in Whalley Road, Accrington, and Ash Lane, Great Harwood.

The ex-Ewood favourite is known to have been part of a failed $8million bid for a second Sydney team in Australia’s A-League in 2009 and 2010, with a former business partner.

But his Sydney Wanderers outfit, for which he was said to have been the principal backer, was overlooked by the Australian football authorities, which then backed their own West Sydney side.

Neill’s time in East Lancashire came to a controversial end when he was transferred to West Ham United, after rejecting a four-year deal and a reported £2million bid from Liverpool.

Announcing their appointment Dale Hernon, Begbies’ national head of creditor services, confirmed that Neill would be interviewed as part of the bankruptcy process.

He said: “The trustees will (then) be able to obtain the background information required to determine the full scale of Mr Neill’s debts. At this early stage of proceedings, it is currently unclear to what extent any funds will be recovered.”

Joint trustees Gary Shankland and Jamie Taylor have pledged to update creditors with more details, as they become available, but have warned that the full proceedings could take “some months”.

Creditors have been told they can contact the company’s Southend office on 01702 467255 or e-mail laura.bodgi@begbies-traynor.com for further details on how to make a claim.

Later in his career, which had begun at Millwall, Neill played briefly for Everton before joining Galatasaray in Turkey.

He spent a season there, played for two clubs in the United Arab Emirates, turned out three times for Sydney FC and had nine games for a Japanese side, ending his career at Watford and Doncaster Rovers in 2014. He earned the last of of his 96 caps in 2013.