Manchester City fan wins mansion in 'footballer's paradise'

Boyhood Manchester City fan Kevin Bryant, 53, can now call some of his favourite players neighbours after winning Omaze’s latest Million Pound House Draw.

Having paid just £25 to enter, Kevin has picked up the keys to a five-bedroom home in Prestbury.

When he found out he’d won, Kevin cracked open an 18-year-old bottle of whisky he’d been saving for a “special occasion”.

“I’d been manifesting this win for ages, telling anyone who would listen that the house was already mine!” he said.

“But when I came home from work to see the Omaze team outside my house - I still couldn’t believe my eyes!

“Once everyone had gone I cracked open the good whisky to celebrate - I thought if you can’t drink a good whisky after winning a £3.5million house, when can you!?”

Kevin paid just £25 for his winning entry (Image: Supplied)

Kevin added: “My mum was born in Greater Manchester - so this is a bit of a homecoming really. She already has her eye on the room with the walk-in wardrobe! She’s still working at 77-years-old - but now I'm hoping she’ll finally consider retirement.

“I love the area as I come up here to watch my beloved Man City whenever I can. I can't believe I now own a house in footballers’ paradise where a lot of the squad live - maybe I’ll bump into Jack Grealish or Pep Guardiola when I pop out to get a pint of milk!”

Kevin bought his winning entry for just £25 as part of his monthly Omaze subscription.

He currently works for a company that provides IT support for a local authority and the NHS, having previously served 11 years in the Royal Navy as a weapons engineer on submarines.

His wife of 32 years has worked for the NHS for 30 years, and the couple have lived in their current three-bedroom Georgian terrace house in Plymouth since 2005.

Their new 7,000-square-foot property boasts a cinema room, a home gym and a walk-in rainfall, while the master bedroom has its own ‘night kitchen’ for those late-night cravings.

It also comes mortgage-free with all legal fees and stamp duty covered.

The property comes with a home gym (Image: Supplied)

Kevin could look to sell the mansion or rent it out, which local estate agents estimate could bring in £20,000 per month.

He said: “I’m not sure what we’ll do long term yet - we’ll definitely come up and enjoy it as a family for a bit - whatever we decide to do, this win is going to change our lives forever!

“Even though we’ve won this amazing house, plus £100k in cash, my wife is insisting that she wants to keep her 11-year-old Skoda Roomster - we’ll definitely stand out at the local supermarket parked next to all the Lamborghinis.”

He added: “This win changes everything for us - it gives us so many options - I might consider early retirement. Work can be very stressful for both of us - my wife has worked for the NHS for 30 years and that can take its toll - so we were both already thinking about making changes to our lives - this win enables us to do just that now. She’s always wanted to drive a tractor for a living - so we’ll ask the farmer next door if he’s hiring!

“I’ve had some health issues recently, so I feel lucky to be here at all, let alone as the owner of a £3.5 million pound house!”

The property could bring in £20,000 a month if rented out (Image: Supplied)

The Omaze draw also raised £3 million for the Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK, set up to continue the legacy of campaigner Dame Debora James, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016, aged 35.

Her mum, Heather James, said “This is a staggering sum of money raised – Deborah would be over the moon with this amount! Thank you to everyone who entered the draw.

“Deborah touched the lives of so many when she was alive and this money will help continue her legacy through the Bowelbabe Fund and make a real difference to people affected by cancer.”