Daniel Wright opened up about his life (Image: Liam Tuffs/Youtube)
A notorious ex-football hooligan has revealed that scooping £1,000,000 on the EuroMillions left him feeling “gutted” once the initial thrill subsided.
Daniel Wright, who has been imprisoned twice for football-related violence, claimed the jackpot sent him “a little bit insane” and that he splashed his cash as though he were a billionaire akin to Richard Branson — before recognising he needed to curb his extravagant spending spree.
Bradford City fan Daniel, who was a prominent figure in the football firm known as The Ointment, claimed his prize on the UK Millionaire Maker in 2022 — four years after his second release from prison.
Despite his initial euphoric reaction, he said: “You know like something that’s weird about it? Do you know truthfully, after I won that money, after about a couple of weeks of the joy of it… because I’ve always earned money me and I’ve always done alright.
“Do you know what? I didn’t like the feeling of it. I used to think to myself, ‘You are a lucky b*****d.’ I used to think that all the time. It is weird to say this.
He now lives a more peaceful existance (Image: Liam Tuffs/Youtube)
“I used to think in my head, ‘Everyone in life is just going to think you got lucky and you didn’t f***ing work for this.’ And it used to drive me a bit insane. In fact, I blew some of it just because I didn’t like it.”
He made the remarks on the Liam Tuffs podcast, whose host suggested he must be the only person to have won a million pounds and been left feeling “absolutely gutted”. However, Daniel responded: “I think everyone is gutted but nobody has ever told you that.”
Despite his difficulties, he clarified that he would not have returned the money, acknowledging that the windfall had “changed” him as an individual.
Offering further detail, he said: “Obviously at first I did blow some. I went to Jamaica and got a villa. I thought I was Richard Branson for a couple of weeks. I went to Vegas. I always wanted to go Vegas because I like gambling.
He was initially thrilled to win the EuroMillions money (Image: PA)
“I will be honest with you — I did about £60,000 in a weekend.”
Daniel also splashed £40,000 on a Rolex watch, though he soon recognised the need to be more prudent with his fortune.
He revealed he purchased properties, including his current residence in Yarm, Durham, and channelled funds into a property development venture.
Daniel also disclosed he had abandoned football hooliganism prior to his EuroMillions victory, though admitted the one aspect he missed about terrace culture was the brotherhood amongst kindred spirits.
He described the violence as “like a drug”, but following his second prison sentence, he concluded he “can’t be doing this any more”.
Daniel revealed he now experiences comparable endorphins when receiving positive feedback on his literary work, having established himself as a published author.
His debut novel, Northern Monkey, is loosely inspired by his involvement with The Ointment firm. However, he noted it predominantly centres on working-class Bradford, where the drugs trade is also woven throughout his fictional narratives.