LEWIS COOK’S grandfather is set to pocket £17,000 if the Bournemouth midfielder makes his England debut in the upcoming friendlies against Holland or Italy.
Trevor Burlingham placed a £500 bet three years ago that his grandson would feature for the Three Lions before his 26th birthday.
His local William Hill shop in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire gave Burlingham odds of 33/1 back in 2014, with the then 18-year-old Cook on the fringes of the Leeds first team.
Cook was called up to Gareth Southgate‘s senior squad for the matches against Germany and Brazil in November, but failed to feature on the hallowed Wembley turf.
William Hill spokesperson Joe Crilly said of the bet: “Lewis has obviously already had one call up but didn’t win a cap, and it now looks like a case of when, not if his grandfather is repaid for the faith he showed in his grandson.
“He has been in fine form this season and is well deserving of a call up, so let’s hope he can go one better and bag a cap in the next few days.”
Cook is no stranger to the England set-up having starred for the youth sides from the U-16s all the way to the U-21s.
In 2014, he was instrumental in helping the Young Lions win the Euro U-17 championship, before he captained the U-20 side to victory in the 2017 World Cup.
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This wouldn’t be the first time that someone has hit the jackpot after placing a bet on a family member to play for England.
Former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland’s father Eddie scooped £10,000 when his son featured under Steve McClaren against Greece in 2006.
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Kirkland’s dad placed a £100 bet at 100/1 when the ex-Wigan star was just 12, while Hull loanee Harry Wilson’s grandad picked up a whopping £125,000 back in 2013.
Peter Edwards wagered a £50 bet at 2,500/1 when Wilson was just 18-months-old that he would feature for Wales, which he did at the grand age of 16 years and 207 days.
England face Holland at the Amsterdam Arena on Friday evening, before welcoming Italy to Wembley next Tuesday.
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