Liverpool record-breaker won granddad life-changing money after astonishing wager

Harry Wilson will be aiming to book his spot at this summer's World Cup with Wales, with the former Liverpool youngster having been backed to make it big even from a young age

Harry Wilson will be eyeing up a place at the World Cup with Wales(Image: Getty Images)

Harry Wilson will be aiming to write more history with Wales this week, with his record-breaking international career having already earned his grandfather a small fortune.

The former Liverpool youngster will be among Craig Bellamy’s squad as they look to secure their place at the World Cup. Wales faces Bosnia and Herzegovina in a play-off on Thursday, with the winner going on to face either Italy or Northern Ireland for a spot in this summer’s tournament.

Another appearance at a major international tournament would be just reward for Wilson, who is enjoying a superb season. The 29-year-old is Fulham’s top scorer this season with 10 goals as his club looks to secure a spot in Europe.

For now, his attentions turn to the international stage as he looks for another milestone in a Wales career that began in record-breaking fashion.

Wilson was just 16 years and 207 days old and a rising Liverpool star when he made his senior debut for Wales against Belgium back in October 2013. He broke Gareth Bale’s record for the youngest ever player to appear for the country - a record made all the more impressive considering he hadn’t even made a first-team appearance for Liverpool at that point.

Even more remarkable was that his international debut resulted in his granddad, Peter Edwards, winning a life-changing amount of money.

“Growing up in my childhood, I spent a lot of time with my nana, because my mum and dad worked full-time,” Wilson explained on That Peter Crouch Podcast recently. “My grandad worked away, he was on the pylons working up and down the country,” he recalled.

Harry Wilson with Craig Bellamy, now Wales manager, on his debut for his country against Belgium in 2013(Image: Getty Images)

“So I spent a lot of my childhood with my nana, before school, after school, summer holidays.

“Then when my grandad came home on weekends, he just said each weekend he could see me getting stronger, kicking the ball, a balloon around the living room, whatever it was.

“So he went into the William Hill shop in Wrexham and asked if he could put a bet on his grandson to play for Wales.

“The woman behind the counter said ‘Sorry, that’s over my head, you’re going to have to ring the headquarters in London’, and I think it took a couple of months to go through, but they gave him 2,500/1.

“That was [when I was] 18 months old. Honestly, it was crazy!”

Undeterred by the huge odds, Wilson’s granddad placed a £50 (around $67 in today’s money) bet. When the big day came, and he was called from the bench to replace Hal Robson-Kanu against Belgium, the winnings came rolling in - £125,000 (around $167,000) to be exact.

“I thought I had to start a game, so the night in Brussels, my mum and dad were out there, after the game came out to see them, obviously they’re delighted and mum’s like ‘I heard grandad’s retiring in the morning!’,” Wilson said.

“I’m pretty sure he was in Exeter that night, in his caravan, working, then saw me get on the pitch in Brussels and next morning went [and handed his notice in]. Yeah, £125,000.”

Wilson’s debut not only had a big impact on his career then, but it also enabled his grandparents to enjoy an early retirement. The midfielder has of course gone on to establish himself as one of the stars Wales’s team, especially with Bale having now retired.

Harry Wilson made his Liverpool debut four years after his first international appearance(Image: Getty Images)

Strangely, considering his early taste of international football, it would be another four years before he made his first-team debut at Liverpool - by which time, his granddad was enjoying more of the spotlight!

“He’s very quiet, quite calm. But part of the bet with William Hill was if it came in, he had to go public with it,” he said.

“Like I said, he’s quite shy, he’s quite quiet, so when it happened and he’s retired, gets back to Corwen and him and my nana have got film people turning up to their house to interview him.

Wilson is enjoying a superb season at Fulham(Image: Getty Images)

“It was like a completely different world to him. He agreed to do it because he kind of took a bit of the spotlight off me a bit, he didn’t want the pressure getting to me.

“But it was incredible. I remember a lady coming from Germany wanting to make a film about it.

“Obviously he was like ‘I don’t want any of that’, he just wanted to enjoy his money!

“But him and my nana bought a motor home, they go on their holidays, weekends away and that, retired 10 years early.”