Family Won $200,000+ Backing 18-Month Old to Become Pro Soccer Player

The family of English Premier League (EPL) star Harry Wilson won over $200,000 backing him to become a professional soccer player when he was only 18 months old. The bets paid out when he represented his country, Wales, in the sport.

He has been called up to play for Wales again for their World Cup qualifier against Bosnia and Herzegovina next week and has been a mainstay on the squad over recent years. He has now represented his country 67 times, scoring 17 goals.

But it was his first appearance for the national team back in 2013 that led to a huge payout for his grandfather and uncle.

Wilson, formerly of Liverpool and now playing for Fulham in the EPL, revealed the bets when speaking on the That Peter Crouch Podcast this week.

Baby Showed Promising Ball Skills

Back when he was only 18 months old, his grandfather, Peter Edwards, placed a £50 bet on Wilson to one day play for Wales at odds of 2,500/1. Additionally, Wilson said his uncle also placed a £20 bet, but his father did not get involved, to his later regret.

In total, the bets paid out £175,000 (around $230,000). Wilson said his grandfather went to a William Hill betting shop to place the bet after becoming convinced his baby had advanced soccer skills.

The EPL player stated, “Growing up in my childhood, I spent a lot of time with my nanna because my mum and dad worked full-time. When my grandad came home on weekends, he just said each weekend he could see me getting stronger, kicking the ball or the balloon around the living room, wherever it was.”

Edwards then asked his local bookie in Wrexham if he could place the bet, but was told by the cashier that she did not have the authority to offer odds. With online betting now dominant in the UK, and as taxes increase on the gambling industry, many betting shops have been forced to close.

In the past, however, that was the only method available to place bets. Through the shop, Edwards contacted William Hill’s headquarters, and the bookies eventually offered him odds of 2,500/1.

Speaking when the bet paid out in 2013, Edwards stated, “It sort of happened on the spur of the moment. He was crawling after the ball in the living room. So, I just thought it wouldn’t be a bad idea to put a bet on him that one day he might play for Wales, which I thought at the time might be a daft bet, but not so daft in the end, was it?”

Fellow ex-Liverpool player Peter Crouch responded to Wilson’s story in astonishment, commenting, “You were 18 months old?! He was f***ing some scout by the way!”

Wilson Aims to Lead Wales to World Cup

Wilson became Wales’ youngest ever player when he made his debut for the team at just 16 years old. He is now one of the country’s most important players, aiming to help them qualify for their third World Cup appearance.

The country is a long shot at odds of 500/1 to win the trophy. Just qualifying will be a success. Before the World Cup in Qatar, Wales had only ever appeared at one tournament, in 1958.

Wilson and his teammates face a tough test to qualify for consecutive World Cups for the first time. If they beat Bosnia and Herzegovina, they will then likely face Italy in a one-off game for a place in the tournament this summer. Italy is the bookies’ favorite to progress at odds of around 8/11 (-137).

Spain is the overall favorite for the tournament, which is predicted to be the biggest sports betting event ever, kicking off in the Americas in June.