Ex-England player turned Birmingham law consultant saves Brits £51m after falling victim to scam

A former England and Premier League footballer, who fell victim to a property investment scam, has saved Brits in similar situations more than £50m since joining a Birmingham firm.

Neil Heaney, 54 from Middlesborough, once represented England in the Under 21 squad before kicking off his professional senior career in Arsenal.

He went on to don the shirts for the likes of Manchester City and Southampton before retiring in 2002 after falling prey to a property investment scam, which saw him and a friend lose £50,000 in a Costa Del Sol deal gone wrong.

Since retiring he has dedicated his time to saving people in similar situations, becoming the CEO of Judicare, an English firm of solicitors that deals with international legal issues and is known particularly for recovering monies invested into problematic property abroad, based partly on his own problems investing in Spanish property.

He is also an International Law Consultant operating in 15 jurisdictions - including work as a consultant for Kangs Solicitors in Birmingham - and popular expat locations such as Spain, Greece and Cyprus.

Over the course of two decades, his work has helped write off more than €60 (£51m) in foreign mortgage debt for Brits who have fell for similar situations to him. However, he hopes the companies latest expansion will result in more than €100 million saved by the end of 2026.

Speaking about the success the firm has seen, Neil said: "I and a friend were scammed out of £50,000 when I was a footballer. When you're playing, you never expect to find yourself caught up in something like that, but it became a real problem and one that was incredibly upsetting.

“I remember I was handed a brochure to invest in a property in the Costa Del Sol, and it looked legitimate. Other players had done it, so I didn’t think twice. But as time went on, the developer wasn’t answering my calls, and everything went silent, which caused alarm bells.

“I also quickly realised that there wasn’t any support for victims of this kind of fraud in the UK, which is why I eventually set up a firm that would help.

“Looking back now, I'm proud of how far we've come at Judicare. What started from my own experience has grown into a firm that's helped thousands of people facing similar situations, and we're determined to help even more.

"Knowing we could make a real difference in people's lives was a fundamental part of the process and remains so. Having been the victim of these issues myself, I know exactly how our clients feel. I know the anxiety, stress and damage these situations can cause.

"I think that really helps, there's a level of relatability we can offer our clients, and now, having saved them millions, it really feels good."

He described the figures as “really humbling” and said that it hasn’t just been help for the super-rich. He said: “Most of our clients are hardworking members of the public who have worked for years to secure their retirement homes, and families with children looking to start a new life abroad.

"We've come a really long way since the early days. The process has been challenging at times, but the overriding feeling is pride.

"We won't be stopping at 15 jurisdictions. We want to continue to grow and become the go-to firm for individuals who have experienced these kinds of problems."