A football hooligan-turned-author who scooped a £1 million EuroMillions jackpot has revealed how he came dangerously close to losing his life-changing windfall because of a crucial technicality.
The Holiday Discovery
Daniel Wright, whose fictionalised biography Northern Monkeys draws on his experiences with Bradford City's hard-core following known as "The Ointment," was holidaying in Cape Verde when his fortune changed. He explained to podcaster James English that he decided to check his emails while his girlfriend was showering.
"I saw one that said 'You've won on EuroMillions,'" Wright recalled. "I thought it would be £2.50 or something." To confirm, he opened the official lottery app and was met with a bold notification about his win. Initially, he misread the amount, thinking it was £1,000. "I must have counted it 10 times," he said, describing his eventual realisation and subsequent shout of "Woo! Like Rick Flair."
The Panic-Inducing Rule
However, elation soon turned to worry. Wright had won the UK Match Maker game, but he was physically located off the coast of Africa when the draw occurred. His ticket was purchased via a weekly standing order, meaning the transaction was automated from his UK bank account.
When he called lottery organisers to claim his prize, they immediately questioned his location. "They said to me, 'Where did you put the ticket on?'" Wright recounted. His response about the standing order provided the necessary reassurance. The organisers confirmed a critical rule: if he had manually purchased the ticket while abroad, his claim would have been invalidated and the £1 million would not have been paid.
"Imagine that. Imagine if that happened to you," Wright warned, offering clear advice to other players: "So, if you ever win the lottery and you're on holiday, don't ring them until you get back."
Life After the Win
With another ten days left in Cape Verde, Wright was forced to wait before officially claiming his money. The delay caused anxiety, leading him to wonder if the notification was an elaborate prank, despite it not being April Fools' Day. He also feared his criminal past might become a story sold to the press, though he confirmed that having a prison record does not disqualify anyone from playing or winning the lottery.
Once the funds were secured, adjusting to his new wealth was challenging. "It's a strange feeling because you don't know what to do really," he admitted. He initially purchased an interrail ticket to travel around Europe but grew bored of visiting cathedrals and museums. Ultimately, he invested in several businesses and focused on his passion project: writing. The win gave him the perfect opportunity to write a novel, fulfilling a long-held ambition.
