Moment lad misses out on £800,000 after cashing out just minutes too early on bet

Betting is always risky, but there are a handful of times where someone has had the opportunity to win an obscene amount on a highly speculative bet.

High risk, high reward after all.

This football fan was on the brink of winning enough money to set himself up with no worries for the next decade or two, but cashed out that bit too early.

It's a gambler's worse nightmare, and 24-year-old Ethan Conway from Wales, has just lived through it.

The Liverpool fan could have won £800,000 if he had just stuck to his guns, but an early cash out cost him dearly.

Ethan staked £219 on three fixtures during the Premier League's final day of the 2023/24 season on Sunday 19 May.

A dramatic final day saw Manchester City win a record breaking fourth title in a row, surviving a scare in the first half when West ham halved the Sky Blues' two-goal lead on the stroke of half-time.

Second-placed Arsenal went down to Everton, eventually coming back to win 2-1, but it didn't matter, as City's win put them two points clear at the top come the final whistle.

But he didn't bet on either of these games, instead aiming for teams slightly lower in the table.

(Wales News Service)

The scaffolder bet that these results would come true: Brighton 0-2 Manchester United, Liverpool 2-0 Wolves, and Sheffield United 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur.

If you're an avid Premier League fan, you'll spot that by some miracle, all of these scores are actually correct .

However, Ethan didn't have the nerve to hold on till the final whistle, as he cashed out after Manchester United scored their first of the game through Diogo Dalot in the 73rd minute, with the other two games already at the predicted scores.

Striker Rasmus Højlund then came off the bench and scored for the second game running, bagging an impressive goal with his weaker right foot, putting United clear and seeing out a 2-0 win.

This meant that Ethan would only get £5,130 of the potential £800,000 prize, which looks like a blunder in hindsight.

However, if you look at Manchester United's season, how leaky their defence is, and how unpredictable they can be in the closing stages of games, you can't really blame him.

(Wales News Service)

The Welshman thought he was having a great day after cashing out with 15 minutes to go, but discovered later that he would have won a jaw-dropping £814,000 on the 3717/1 bet if he just saw it through.

He later said: "I was just tamping [Welsh word for furious] really - just heartbroken - disbelief if anything.

"I was looking at new cars, new houses, but obviously it's a different story now. My family and friends were in disbelief as well.

'But obviously they're happy that I won the five grand," he explained.

Known for betting on most weekends, this is the first time he has won anything over £5,000, but it is the ultimate silver lining in the grand scheme of things.

He later said that there is 'no chance' he'll be betting on any games soon, as he wants to save more money.

"I've come out of it now. I've just won that and run.

'I'll have to get over this one first. It's just the 50/50 chance of it - you either cash out or you don't. I'm just gutted really," Ethan concluded.