Savvy punter scoops £25,000 thanks to Man Utd debut… and could win another £25,000 if shock transfer takes place
THINK you could spot a future superstar?
Well one savvy punter did and was rewarded with a bumper £25,000 after correctly predicting that Charlie McNeil would play for Manchester United’s first team.
Savvy punter scoops £25,000 thanks to Charlie McNeil debutGETTY
The 63-year-old from Manchester, who wishes to remain anonymous, placed a bet of £100 at odds of 250/1 after he saw McNeill playing youth football for West End Boys in 2012.
The Coral customer was so impressed by what he saw, he told friends and family that the nine-year-old reminded of none other than George Best!
The far-sighted fan clearly knew his stuff, and rightly celebrated when the teenage striker came on as a substitute against Real Sociedad last month.
But the story doesn’t end there.
This bettor also placed £100 on McNeil to play for rivals Manchester City at 250/1 when he joined their academy.
He’s also got £100 on McNeil to play for England at 50/1, and those things combined would land him another £30,000!
Speaking to Coral, the punter said: “I knew Charlie’s family back then, so saw him play quite a bit when he was young.
“After one particular match, I was telling everyone that he reminded me of George Best, who I saw when I was a kid, that’s how good Charlie was, even at an early age. And of course, they all laughed at me, thought I was mad!
“He ended up signing for the Manchester City academy, so as well as the £100 at 250/1 that he’d play for United, I also placed a bet of £100 at 150/1 that he would play for City, and a bit later, a bet of £100 at 50-1 that he would play for England.
“As a United fan I don’t want the City bet to be a winner now, as we need all the help we can get to beat them! But hopefully the England bet will be a winner in the future.”
Coral’s David Stevens commented: “This punter deserves every penny of his £25,000 winnings.
“Spotting Charlie’s potential so early on was incredible, and his good fortune may not be over yet, as an England debut would spark another payout, as would a switch to Manchester City, although I know this keen United fan would rather not win that bet!”
SPREADEX: GET £30 IN FREE BETS*
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
Never chase their losses
Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
