‘I checked the ticket the next day on my lunch break at work and couldn’t believe that the numbers matched.’
Former Sheffield United and Harrogate Town defender Terry Kennedy recently went viral after he was filmed celebrating the moment he found out that he had won £1million on the lottery.
Video footage showed Kennedy anxiously gripping his winning ticket as he listened to confirmation from a member of lottery staff over the phone.
Once his seven-figure win had been confirmed, it was met with celebrations from his co-workers – who were listening to the conversation with the phone on loudspeaker.
Kennedy was in understandable shock following the news, remaining in his chair while leaning back and looking up at the ceiling.
https://twitter.com/notpotmongs/status/1460349225825443846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1460349225825443846%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joe.co.uk%2Fsport%2Fformer-sheff-utd-and-harrogate-defender-terry-kennedy-celebrates-1m-lottery-win-300656
However, the Mirror have reported that he has now revealed that he left his ticket on the counter in the shop, leading the shopkeeper to call him back while saying: “This could make you a millionaire.”
The ex-proffesional footballer, from Barnsley, has admitted that he initially planned to keep quiet about his win, but was unable to after the footage – which has been seen over three million times – went viral.
Speaking at a press conference at the Tankersley Manor Hotel in Barnsley on Wednesday, Kennedy disclosed how his win was ‘complete luck’ as him and his partner – Kay Yoxall – had gone to the shop to purchase a EuroMillions Lucky Dip, thinking it was Friday.
After being informed that it was in fact Saturday, they had to buy a Lotto ticket, where they matched two numbers and won a Lucky Dip for the next draw as a result.
The ticket was bought from a shop near to where he was working in Doncaster, with the win coming in the draw on Wednesday November 10.
Discussing his winning numbers – which were 10, 18, 20, 37, 49 and bonus ball 5 – Kennedy joked that he thought his mates were winding him up when they told him that he had won.
He said: “I checked the ticket the next day on my lunch break at work on Google and couldn’t believe that the numbers matched.
“Then I got different mates on the site to check on the App and it kept saying I’d won. I thought it was a wind-up.
“It wasn’t until I’d actually spoken to the woman on The National Lottery Line, that was filmed by a mate, that I believed it was happening.
“Making that call in front of my mates and colleagues was brilliant and I immediately took them for a celebratory pint.”
Him and his partner have since been on holiday to Tenerife and spent a weekend away in Dublin.
The pair are planning to enjoy Christmas at home with friends and family before ‘seeing the world’.
The former Sheff Utd defender – who partnered Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire in central defence for the Blades’ youth side – plans to continue working as a builder during the summer and travelling to warmer countries in the winter months.
“On days like this,” said Kennedy, “You just want to stay at home.
“I don’t enjoy building sites during the winter so I’m planning to go away and see the world.
“Kay can take a break from work, so we’d love to go across America and South East Asia.
“We already have New York planned for January.
“The ideal plan would be to never work a British winter again.”
The ex-defender, who made his debut for United in 2011, was forced to hang up his boots three years ago because of a recurring knee injury.
Related links:
- Former Sheff Utd and Harrogate defender Terry Kennedy celebrates £1M lottery win
- PM confirms vaccine passports required for outdoor sporting venues with capacity of over 10,000
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