A JUDGE has dismissed a bankruptcy petition lodged by tax officials against former Liverpool and England footballer John Barnes.

Judge Paul Greenwood considered Barnes’ case at an Insolvency and Companies Court hearing in London.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) had lodged a bankruptcy petition.

An HMRC official had last month told another judge that tax owed had been paid and Judge Greenwood on Wednesday dismissed the petition.

Barnes, who lives in Heswall, Wirral, was not at the hearing.

Another judge had adjourned an earlier hearing – in February – to allow “settlement negotiations” to take place.

Megan Vanderhook, who represented HMRC at the February hearing, had indicated that Barnes owed at least £200,000.

Barnes, 59, played for Watford, Liverpool and Newcastle.

He also won 79 England caps between 1983 and 1995 and was head coach at Celtic after ending his playing career.

Barnes became manager of Tranmere Rovers in 2009 but was sacked by the club six days after a 5–0 defeat at Millwall and a run of just two wins from eleven league games.