The Mirror reports that the police believe the alleged fraud may be the “biggest” scam to ever hit the football industry, and are probing links to large-scale gambling on matches.
UK bookmakers William Hill have allegedly handed investigators details of ex-footballer Michael McIndoe, a customer who is said to have recruited other players into the venture with the promise of monthly returns of 20%. The scheme crashed at the end of 2011 as a result of debt.
McIndoe, a former Coventry, Wolves, and Scotland midfielder, went bankrupt in October with disclosed debts of £3m, and police are looking into the possibility that he may have operated a Ponzi scheme.
Bullard is reported to have lost £650,000 while Keane’s losses have been described as “a fortune”.