Irish Footballer Named As Winner of €1m National Lottery

It feels like EVERYONE is winning the lotto except us.

Grim, rainy, broke January is the perfect time to celebrate someone else winning the lotto (not) and the latest lucky so-and-so will already be well-known to football fans.

Kevin O'Connor, former Ireland under-21 soccer player, has been named as The National Lottery Christmas Millionaire Raffle winner, scoring a whopper 1m spondoolies.

The star player joined Preston North End last month, but returned home to validate his ticket in Castlebridge, Co Wexford on Tuesday morning (Jan 2).

Louis Flanagan, of Flanagan's Supermarket where the winning ticket was purchased, told The Irish Times: “Once the ticket was validated I asked Kevin for a hold of it [the ticket] so I could become a millionaire for a few short seconds."

“I was delighted for Kevin and his parents, Brian and Breda. One could not meet a nicer person or family. When he [Kevin] came into the supermarket along with his girlfriend it was the very same Kevin of old. He has not changed one bit. He is as nice a person as one could meet.

“Kevin got to where he is today the hard way. He played with Waterford before joining Cork City. He worked so hard to get that opportunity with Preston North End having also played with Ireland at underage level. If I was to pick a person to win I could not have done any better. It’s wonderful and with such a nice family I have still hope in this world."

Well done, Kevin.

Seriously, so chuffed for you.