EX-West Ham and Aston Villa striker John Carew faces jail for tax evasion on a £27m fortune.

The 6ft 5in Norwegian – now an actor – is due to appear in court in his native country at the end of the summer.

Carew, 42, is accused of avoiding paying 5.4 million crowns (around £500,000) between 2014 and 2019.

He is also accused of failing to declare income of around £1m in the same period and hiding £27m.

In 2020 he listed his income at £725,000 with a tax debt of £210,000 and £6.3million in savings.

Carew was declared bankrupt by the High Court of England in 2012 and quit football ten years ago to work in film and television.

He said he didn’t understand the tax law, adding: ‘I received advice that turned out to be wrong.

Lawyer Berit Reiss-Andersen added: “He mistakenly believed he was UK tax resident.

“He wants to make up for it.”

Oslo Chief Prosecutor Marianne Bender said: ‘This is a serious case because it involves tax evasion over many years of a significant amount of money.

The maximum penalty for gross tax evasion is six years in prison.